BIBLICAL VIEW ON PIERCINGS

Getting your ears pierced is a big deal in so many households. Many of us can remember growing up begging our moms to let us get them done or waiting until we are old enough to get them. You wait in anticipation, thinking about how pretty you’ll look with those little diamond studs in your ears and your parents think about the fact that their baby is actually growing up.

While we often consider how we’ll see ourselves and how others will look at us, many of us fail to consider what God thinks about this decision. While being a Christian doesn’t mean putting checkmarks on a list of do’s and don’ts, it’s still important to put the messages of our culture through the filter of God’s Word to see how they hold up.

Body piercings and tattoos continue to be a highly debated topic in the Christian community. While some Christians don’t believe body piercing is a sin at all, others believe the Bible makes it quite clear that we need to treat our bodies as temples and not do anything to damage it, including body piercings.

MY VIEW ON SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE

Recently, myself and a friend were having random discussions, and then we started talking about sex before marriage. That was when I realized we had different views.

My belief is that it is wrong and also not wrong. Why, you might ask.

MEANWHILE, AT IJEBU-ODE...

 

I had to go open a new bank account for my school account at Ijebu-Ode. I got to Lagos Garage and asked an Okada rider to take me to the nearest bank branch. We were on our way and I was looking at the buildings we passed...when I sighted a statue or should I say carving??? It was at the center of the roundabout,  but my cellphone was inside my bag and we would have gone far past it before I would be ready to take a quick picture. I got to the bank, did what I was asked to do and thinking about the 'hours' I spent there, I would have forgotten about the statue.

A RELATIONSHIP TURNED SOUR

I was on my way to my-to-be school (university). I recently gained admission and was going for registration. I went with big bro...you might be curious as to why i didn't go on my own, afterall i'm a 'Big Girl' or 'Big Lady'??? Well, that's a story for another day.

I was kinda thinking about the kinda girl i've been morally (though i do have minor clashes with my Parents at times), i was thinking about how i've been staying at the right path and not straying away when...i remembered, remembered how his heart got shattered.

I would refer to him as KB or BK...KB - so he can be imagined as a social, cool, hot, bad guy and BK - imagined as a nice, quiet, caring, loving guy.

He is my friend's cousin, and he is also a very close friend of mine...at least he used to be.

I recall how we met...my friend's mum's shop is beside my mum's. And we live close to the shop. So, whenever my friend (Let's call her Vivi) comes from her home, she and her brothers will come to my house and we will play around together.

Backdate to 8years ago-
There was this hot afternoon, i was in the room watching a Korean movie (i have a crush on interesting korean 'movies') when Vivi came in with one of her brothers and a new guy. I was putting on a singlet and its (what we call follow-come) shorts. We chatted and played.


Later, while playing we got introduced and became closer friends.
Now, fast-forward to about 8 years later, we are teenagers already, everyone is dating this person or that person, i'm the only one standing out.

I'm most closer to BK...he talks with his gf on phone for two hours (only God knows what they talk about). After they close from school, he comes back and we all talk about the day's adventure.

I watched as their relationship blossomed;
Cute, handsome, hot, caring. nice guys that other girls wanted to have to themselves asked me out one after the other, but relationships just isn't my thing.

I would ask KB about her at times, and he seemed happy as ever, then it started....

I liked the way BK daringly loved and cared for her, but i wasn't ready to be committed in a relationship...i just liked the freedom of singledom. Since i clocked 12 till present, my friends/mates have been going in and out of relationships, and i was one of the unique ones, the NDSB (Never Dated Since Birth) and i was proud of myself.

Anyways, i started crushing on KBK, he was caring and what any girl would want for herself, and I once told Vivi, and one other friend that i had a crush on him and i could seduce and get him if i wanted to, but i wasn't one to break a fellow girl's heart. Actually...i wasn't one to do that, but she was one to break a guy's heart.

She had to transfer to another high school, but it wasn't far from her previous one...maybe, she was waiting for that moment. She told BK that she couldn't do it any more. KB came back from school that day, and we had been having some minor issues (not related to the crushing), i could sense that he was not ok, then my lil sis asked what happened and i heard his older cousin (Vivi's bro) playfully say that his gf broke his heart, it was funny and we laughed.

Some days later, we reconciled and resolved the issues, we talked about his ex, and he said he had moved on from her...cool, i thought.

Somehow, he mistakenly found out about the crush, it happened when i mistakenly sent him a message that was meant for one friend's ex-boyfriend that was asking me out.

I felt like a fool...how could i have mistakenly selected his number, that was my most embarassing situation as a teenager.

Later on, we started avoiding each other, or maybe i was the one avoiding him, and my other friend started telling me that he wanted to go out with me. It was kinda funny and strange. I avoided the topic whenever we talked and pretended i never had a crush on him, but he was only falling harder.

Almost Christmas, mum said we were traveling for my uncle's wedding and to spend christmas with her parents, particularly her father, my grandfather which i hadn't seen since birth. Anyways, we traveled and i chatted with KB all through the journey, told him how i saw the Niger River for the first time (Note: my grandparents reside at Niger State).

On 26th of December, he popped the question and asked me out, it was weird and i immediately rejected him, my friend called minutes later and told my how crazy i was to reject a guy i liked, he asked again and again until the 28th of December when i finally said yes!!!

We returned back to Lagos on the 31st of December, and i rushed to see him first.
It was fun dating him, and i kept crushing on him. But did i really like him???

We sent text messages, sat down together. Everyday after i close from work, i would rush to see him instead of helping my mom to cook at home or go to rest.

Then the time came, i was to write my final high school exams, i needed time to study, i didn't want any distractions, i started studying and we rarely saw each other. I didn't feel like i really liked him, i just had a crush on him, that's all, nothing serious, maybe i liked him because he treated his girlfriend so well.

It was almost d-day, valentine's day, February 14th.
It was February 13th, a Sunday, i didn't go to see him, i sent a message, apologizing and telling him that i needed space, that we needed to break up, that i didn't mind if he dated other girls, that we could remain friends, and that maybe we could get back together if I still wanted after my exams.
I can't imagine how he felt on the said day, i had shattered a broken heart. We didn't see for days after then, on the day, we met and it was awkward.

It was long before he finally forgave me, though we are friends now, i'm sure when he sees me, the memory comes rushing, cos at times, he just doesn't want to talk to me.

Now the thing is, having a crush on someone and liking someone, could someone please decipher the difference, because most teenagers out there still think having a crush on someone is still the same as really liking someone. I just don't get it.

BUHARI 'A NEW BEGINNING'

I'm not a fan of news (i.e. Government, History, Political and others).

But the other day, i remember reading a novel late at night after others, except my uncle had gone to bed, i didn't want to put off the TV, unless, i didn't want to achieve my aim of finishing "Americanah by Chimamanda N. A" that night.

FORBIDDEN - Anita's Story (Part 2)

 

For the previous part, Click - FORBIDDEN - Anita's Story (Part 1)
 

The sky was too cloudy on this particular day, which made Anita really think if she was going to go with her regular day-to-day routine. She thought to herself why it had to be today of all days that the sky had to let down the grudges and anger it had been holding for too long.

It’s going to be a long day, she thought. But why today? Then she thought of her previous day encounters with the young man she had met while working at her part-time job. The thoughts of his soft and soothing words after the hard day’s work made her blush.

PEN WITH OWNER'S NAME TAG???

Loool...who remembers something similar to this???
Shows how old you are!!!

If you attended a Government School in Nigeria...you would understand more of this.
One of the petty pen-security methods in High School.
#areyouthere?

Please share your pen-security experiences below in the comment section!!!

FORBIDDEN - Anita's Story (Part 1)

On the outskirts of Ikeja, Lagos laid one of the infamous, but rather famous schools in the City of Lagos, His Majesty International College, which served as an educational center for young teenagers who were yet inconclusive on the insights of life, and had yet to experience the life the average people referred to as “The Life of the Targets”.

His Majesty International College was known widely for its “outer and inner beauty and eminence”, at least it was known for that before its Founder, Mrs. Laura Brown passed away. Only then did the once impending corruption resurface.

The new owner, Mr. Damian Ihenna was known as an uptight, yet corrupt leader. He was known for his greed in financial circumstances; a never contented man who could murder anyone who got in his way, just to lay his filthy hands on already filthy money. Though he was ordained an Elder in church just to make him regain his senses and eradicate his greed, that didn’t help at all, his greed only worsened to the extent of his fighting over finances in church.

8 Ways To Detangle Your Hair And Shed Less Hair

Detangling is a crucial part of all hair care. Detangling is simply using a hair-care tool to comb or brush through your hair. This helps to remove tangles and shed hairs that can cause matting, knots, and ultimately, breakage. Detangling can also help with washing the hair, styling the hair, and distributing products throughout the hair.

Many naturals have hair growth goals, but are struggling with retaining length. Learning to properly detangle natural hair will ensure that you are not just breaking it off. It will also help with overall healthy hair care, as improper detangling can result in split ends and damaged cuticles. 

Here are some tips on detangling your hair without ripping it out:

Reasons Why You Have Stunted / Slow Hair Growth

Many people crave healthy, thick, and long hair, and it is quite depressing when one’s hair stops growing. Unless your hair is damaged due to health issues or any chemical reactions, it should continue to grow.

Have you been trying to grow your hair longer for years, but it just seems to stop getting longer at a certain length? Have you tried every product possible to grow your hair faster but it’s just stalled out and stop growing at a particular point for no apparent reason? If your hair breaks off at an equal or higher rate than it grows, you’ll never see any length gains. Hair may show stagnant or negative growth rates for a number of reasons. Here is a compilation of some reasons why your might have stopped growing and some tips to help out.

Hair Breakage: While it might seem that your hair is not growing, in reality, this could actually be due to the fact that there is hair breakage once it reaches a certain length. Bleaching, showering, brushing, and roughly handling one’s hair can lead to dryness and brittleness, which in turn cause hair breakage. Your hair grows half an inch every month, and if it breaks off at the same rate, there will be little or no growth at all. This is why it appears that your hair has stopped growing.

7 Home Remedies for Regaining the Firmness of Saggy Breasts

 

Breast sagging is a natural process that happens with age wherein the breasts lose their suppleness and elasticity. Sagging breast (ptosis) is a common complaint for many women and this occurs in part because of  a loss of elasticity due to rapid weight loss, childbirth, wearing the incorrect bra size and the effects of gravity.

Breasts consist of fatty tissue and milk ducts placed atop the pectoral muscles that support them, and by doing chest exercises to build up the “pecs” breasts can receive the lift and support they need.

Many women feel their breasts have gone past the point of no return as it pertains to the downward shift of their breasts, but there is really no need to worry because there are several home remedies for regaining the firmness of saggy breasts, including regular pectoral exercises, olive oil massaging, ice massaging, cucumber and egg mask, vegetable oils and essential oils in different forms.

HAIR GROWTH CHALLENGE ROUTINE

To so many ladies here, our greatest challenge is growing our edges.You see,am with you in this and so i thought of embarking on a 3-month challenge to improve my edges.

If you're interested and wanna join the train,below are the rules:
1.Take a pix of your edges before embarking on the challenge
2.No fixing of weavon
3.No braids. If at all you must braid, avoid ur edges!
4.If u must use wigs, avoid wigs that will tightly grip ur edges
5.Enough consumption of fruits,Veggies and water
6.Daily edge massage (a gentle massage in circular motion is advised)
7.Avoid stress and anxiety
8.Faithfulness and commitment is the key to this challenge.

TIGER NUT FOR HAIR???!

Known as one of the world’s healthiest snacks, tiger nuts are high in iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin E.. Tiger nuts are also called chufa nuts and have a nutty taste similar to coconuts. This milky, nutty tasting tuber is plentiful in Nigeria and can also be found in the Spanish drink horchata. This ancient super-food is extremely high in fiber, iron, potassium, and vitamins C and E. As a matter of fact, tiger nuts have as much iron as red meat, as much potassium as coconut water. They are allergen free, gluten free, dairy free, and chocked full of resistant starch, which is a type of fiber that is pre-biotic.

They help to stimulate the immune system by preventing cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer. the nuts have essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. the minerals are used to build strong bones and muscles; repaired tissues and helped the blood stream. “Tiger nuts are often cultivated for its edible tubers.

‘’ In Nigeria, the Hausas call it ‘Aya’; Yorubas call it ‘Ofio’; the Igbos, ‘imumu’ or ‘aki Hausa’; while the Hausas make a drink called Kunun Aya from it,’’ In China, tiger nut juice is used as a liver tonic and heart stimulant. The nuts contains a lot of oleic acid which helps to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride, adding that it also prevents hardening of the arteries. It helps to prevent constipation because it aided proper digestion. “ Tiger nuts contain enough protein and carbohydrates. It contains a good quantity of vitamin B1, which assists in balancing the central nervous system and helps to encourage the body to adapt to stress. Its used to treat stomach pain, aid normal menstruation, adding that it helped to heal mouth and gum ulcers.

HOW I USED COD LIVER OIL FOR HAIR GROWTH!

The other day when i felt like spending the change (money) i had on me, i thought, 'what should i buy that might be beneficial to me? Chewing Gum? NO, Pin-Pop and Milk? NO, then what?' Then the idea came in suddenly, "COD LIVER OIL", i suddenly became excited.

But, the REAL QUESTION is, do i know HOW TO USE Cod Liver Oil? I'm not that sure, all i know is that it promotes hair growth, so i took the prescribed dosage and swallowed it, and that's all! I understand that this is the mentality of most naturalistas (no offence), so, i was going through some files and came across the use of Cod Liver Oil for hair growth:

Using cod liver oil for hair can make hair stronger, promote hair growth and minimize hair loss. Many of the benefits of this oil come from the nutrients it contains. These nutrients help promote overall health, and overall health is an important part of maintaining healthy hair. A key benefit of cod liver oil for hair is that it contains OMEGA-3 fatty acids and high levels of vitamins A and D. All three are known to help promote general health.

NATURAL HAIR TERMS

Most NATURALISTAS just hear abbreviated words and terms, but do not understand the full meanings, so i coined some i got from a Facebook Page:

TWA: teeny weeny afro

LOC: liquid oil cream

ACV: apple cider vinegar

EVOO: extra virgin olive oil

EVCO: extra virgin coconut oil

APL: arm pit length

CoWash: (conditioner wash) to wash hair with conditioner

DC: deep conditioning

EO; essential oil

EL: ear length

HOTD: hair of the day

JBCO: jamaican black castor oil

MBL: mid back length

NG: new growth

NL: neck length

PrePoo(pre shampoo): any treatment you apply to your hair before shampoo

SL: shoulder length

WL: waist length

BC: big chop

PS : protective style

BTR : Black Tea Rinse

HOT: Hot Oil Treatment

SHAM: WASH : Washing your hair with shampoo

BHD : Bad Hair Day

Baggying – Putting on your moisturizer and then applying a plastic bag over the hair to trap the moisture in.

Braid-Out – Braiding your hair in sections for a period of time, usually overnight, and unbraiding to release waves and curls, great heat-free style.

Twist Out - This twisting your hair in sections for a period of time, usually over night then untwisting in order to create defined twist.

Breakage - Broken pieces of hair without the white bulb. This can be caused by too much moisture or protein, hair accessories, and poor hair care practices.

Carrier oil - Known as base oil or vegetable oil, is used to dilute essentials. Examples include coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, etc.

Deep conditioning –Applying a conditioner specifically formulated to penetrate the cuticle of the hair; helps revive dull lifeless hair thus giving it more strength, elasticity, moisture, softness, and shine. It is a good way of replenishing lost moisture in the hair leaving it less prone to breakage and unmanageability.

Dusting - A very light trim.

Humectants – Attract and retain moisture from the air i.e. Glycerin, Honey, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol.

Leave-in Conditioner – A quick way of adding moisture back into the hair after shampooing/conditioning. It helps to detangle the hair leaving it soft and manageable.

Line of Demarcation - Where the natural hair and relaxed hair meet as your hair grows; the point where your new growth meets your previously chemically treated hair. This location can be very delicate so be very gentle when stretching.

Low Manipulation – Styles that do not require much manipulation which leads to less shedding and breakage which eventually leads to healthier hair.

Moisturizing – Applying a moisture based product to dry hair without washing it out. You can use a water-based or cream based moisturizer 1-2x per day. This helps to prevent breakage and increase elasticity in the hair.

Protective Styling – Wearing your hair up in a style that doesn’t put strain on your edges/nape and keeps your ends off of your back & protected from outside elements, i.e. Buns, Clips, Pony Tails etc.

Sealing – Using a natural oil to lock in the moisture after you’ve moisturized the hair i.e. Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Using an oil over the moisturizer will allow your hair to stay moisturized longer.

Shedding - Strands of hair with white bulbs on the root. Hair sheds 150 strands per day on average. If you notice excessive shedding, examine your diet – lack of protein, anemia, dehydration can all cause shedding. If it continues, see your physician.

Spritz - A Spritz is a hair spray containing 80% water and 20% Oils (e.g coconut, olive,castor, grapeseed oils etc). It is used to Moisturize your hair. U can also add some leave-in conditioner or aloe vera to it. U spray this on your hair day and night or as often as your hair feels dry.

Transitioning - In stead of chopping off all of your chemically treated hair, you let your hair grow without getting more relaxers with the intent of going natural.

Wash & Go (W&G or WNG) - To wash or co-wash your hair, add a styler cream or gel by shingling in, shake and Go. Let your hair air dry and go or dry using a diffuser.

Source: Natural Hair Babes

PS: You can comment on the terms that are not listed above and corrections are welcome.

Thanks.

Yours,

Naptural Teenager

TRANSITIONING - FOR BEGINNERS

Want to go natural without doing the Big Chop?  

Transitioning to natural hair is a simple process of growing out your natural texture before cutting off the processed or damaged ends.

1. Don't set a time just yet: You don't have to know when you'll rock your 100% natural hair right away! Give yourself about 4 months — by then, you should have enough growth to get excited!

What Your Menstruation Tells You About Your Health...

 Menstruation according to Wikipedia is defined as:

The regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina.

Menstruation (men-STRAY-shuhn) is a woman's monthly bleeding. When you menstruate, your body sheds the lining of the uterus (womb). Menstrual blood flows from the uterus through the small opening in the cervix and passes out of the body through the vagina (see how the menstrual cycle w orks below).

People think that their menstruation or their period is just a way of determining whether you are pregnant or not. But in reality there is more to it than taking an ibuprofen to ease away the pain caused by cramps.

Did you know that health issues can be spotted by looking at the changes in your period? Changes such as the flow, color, length and amount of flow.

Here are five health conditions that you can determine by looking at your period.