The other day, my 3-year-old son came home from playing with his friends, visibly upset. When I asked what was wrong, he expressed that he didn’t want to turn 4 years old – he wanted to skip ahead and become 5 instead. As a parent, I tried to gently explain to him how things work and that he still had time to grow. But he remained adamant, unwilling to accept the natural progression of his age and development.

This scenario, while seemingly simple, actually provides a profound spiritual lesson about the importance of embracing God’s timing in our lives. It’s a powerful reminder that even in our most natural human tendencies, God can reveal deeper truths about walking in faith.

Trusting God’s Perfect Timing

Just like my young son, we as believers can sometimes grow impatient with the pace of our own spiritual growth and maturation. We see others around us progressing faster or reaching new milestones, and we find ourselves yearning to “skip ahead” to that next level of faith, ministry, or relationship with God.However, the Bible reminds us that God’s timing is perfect, and He has a specific plan and purpose for each season of our lives:

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

When we try to rush ahead or take matters into our own hands, we risk missing out on the valuable lessons and divine appointments God has orchestrated for our current stage. Just as my son is not yet ready to take on the responsibilities of a 5-year-old, we are not always prepared for the spiritual challenges and callings God has in store for us. His timing is intentional, designed to grow us and shape us in ways that align with His perfect will.

Resting in God’s Provision

When we find ourselves growing impatient, like my son, it’s important to remember that God is fully aware of where we are in our journey. He has not forgotten us or abandoned us – He is actively working in our lives, even when the progress feels slow or the waiting seems unbearable.

The Psalmist reminds us: “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.” (Psalm 138:8)

God’s love and provision are constant, even when our circumstances or feelings of growth do not align with our own expectations. By trusting in His timing and resting in His care, we can find the peace and contentment to embrace each season, rather than trying to rush ahead. His plans are higher than our own, and He is faithful to complete the work He has started in us.

Embracing the Process of Maturity

Just as my young son has more to learn and experience before he is truly ready for the responsibilities of a 5-year-old, we too must be willing to submit to the process of spiritual maturity. Each stage of our lives, no matter how challenging, is an opportunity to grow deeper in our faith and become more like Christ.

The apostle Paul encourages us: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

God is faithful to complete the work He has started in us. By embracing the journey, rather than trying to rush ahead, we can find joy in the process and trust that He is shaping us for His purposes. The temptation to “skip ahead” may be strong, but submitting to His timing will ultimately produce the fruit of patience, perseverance, and Christ-likeness in our lives.

Practical Steps to Embrace God’s Timing

So how can we practically apply these lessons from my son’s experience? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Regularly examine your heart for signs of impatience or a desire to “hurry up” your spiritual growth.
2. Meditate on Scripture passages that remind you of God’s perfect timing and sovereignty over your life.
3. Pray for the Holy Spirit to cultivate in you a spirit of trust, contentment, and surrender to God’s plan.
4. Find an accountability partner who can encourage you to stay the course and not give in to impatience.
5. Celebrate the small wins and milestones along your journey, rather than fixating on what’s ahead.

Closing Thoughts:
The next time I find myself, or my child, growing impatient with the pace of growth or progression, I will remember the lessons from my 3-year-old son. I will embrace God’s perfect timing, rest in His provision, and trust that He is faithfully guiding me through each season. In doing so, I will find the peace and contentment to flourish right where I am, knowing that He who began a good work in me will bring it to completion.

Your Second pregnancy is most times different from your first pregnancy especially when you are going to have a child with a gender different from your first child. Whether you plan your second pregnancy or it just happened, it’s still something worth celebrating. Children are God’s gift and having them around us makes us happy, fulfilled, and complete as a mother. This joy of bringing a new life into the world gives u the courage to pull through the challenges of pregnancy.

However, when you are having your second pregnancy especially when your first child is a toddler, you must prepare your mind to receive all the changes that it might have on your body. Do not think that it will be just like your first pregnancy, as your second pregnancy could be easier or more challenging than your first.

Even though my second pregnancy was planned, yet I was never prepared for the changes that could come with it. I felt since my first pregnancy experience was so rosy and did not have much of the pregnancy sickness, then this second pregnancy will just be like that. During my first pregnancy, I was active all through my first trimester to the third trimester; I went to work like nothing was happening, was also running a master’s degree program, was active in church, socials, at home, and most importantly in the bedroom. Because of this experience, I wasn’t prepared that my second pregnancy could take a new turn.

My second pregnancy was challenging from the first month of the pregnancy, I experienced light to moderate pains in my lower abdomen which make me visit the hospital even while I was less than two months pregnant. There was also frequent morning sickness, nausea, low appetite, cough, runny nose, frequent headache, and body pains. It was just like a different kind of sickness just showing up after I had gotten treated for another.

I experience frequent tiredness which made me be less productive with work, couldn’t read for my Ph.D. program, not active in taking care of the house and my kid and I just felt frustrated about the whole situation.

I was happy that I was going to have a new child but at the same time, it also frustrated me that I couldn’t meet up with my plans and schedule because of the stress the second pregnancy was having on my body. However, Instead of getting frustrated for a long time, I decided to embrace the situation I have just found myself in and to work around it for my good. I decided to take it easy on myself, slow down my working pace, and also had to suspend my PhD program until When I think I will be able to concentrate more on the research work.

I also decided to make good use of my time and be more productive within the little period of time I am able to work, through proper planning and effective time management. And above all, I had lots of night rest and weekend rest.

Your Second pregnancy: 5 Important Things you must know

1. Your second pregnancy will not be like your first, so get ready for the roller coaster experience. Enjoy the days when you wake up with strength like that of Samson and the days you’ll wake up and it feels like you need to stay longer in bed. Also, start taking your fertility supplements with your partner as this will increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally.
2. Have flexible plans on how to make things work out with either your work, business, academics, or career during pregnancy. This is because you might think that the second pregnancy will come with lots of energy but the little creature might have another plan for your frail body.
3. Decide on how to take care of your first child especially if your little prince or princess is still a toddler. Plan on how to get help either from close family members, a nanny, or your partner. This is because you may not have enough energy to provide your little angel with all the attention he/she is used to especially if she is attached to you. This is a good reason why you need to get your child prepared emotionally and psychologically by letting him/her know that he will be having a little brother or sister very soon. However, you need to do this according to the age of your child, so that they can understand what you mean by having a little brother or sister.
4. Get your partner prepared by letting him know that there is a possibility of changes in the experience of your first pregnancy and your second pregnancy. Let him know you will be needing his help, support, and his presence during the constant hospital visit if need be. You should also prepare for changes in your sexual activity during pregnancy and prepare to enjoy these changes with your partner.
5. Check if your previously used maternity gowns are still in good condition and size, if not, then you need to prepare on getting new ones both for work and for casual wear. You might likely show earlier with the big baby bump, which means you might feel uncomfortable in your current clothes even as early as three months pregnant.

The bottom line

Preparing for your second pregnancy will help you to cope with any form of changes that might come with it. You should also make sure that you have a financial plan that is able to take care of your increasing family number, especially if you will have a need for frequent hospital visits. Having a good financial plan will also help you decide on the birth plan you will opt for.

Well, there is nothing to be afraid of, you will soon be a mother of two kids. Isn’t that amazing?

Pregnant with a toddler? Wow!, that’s amazing. Your little one will soon have a kid sister or brother. However, carrying your second pregnancy while you are nursing a toddler is not an easy task at all. This is because the pregnancy will need to take its toll on you while your toddler is also craving your attention. Most amazingly, you also need to do the house chores if you do not have a nanny or domestic help, and if you are a working mom, then you are in for more tasks.

Toddlers are sometimes behaving funny especially when you are pregnant with another child. They are more attention-seeking, cries about the most insignificant things, and get so much more attached to you than when you were not pregnant. This whole thing can easily get you exhausted. There is no need to be worried. Here are 8 tips to survive, when you are pregnant with a toddler.

8 tips to survive, when you are pregnant with a toddler.

1. Seek for help

You can no longer take care of your toddler all by yourself when you are pregnant therefore you need to seek help. Let your partner take up the responsibility of taking care of your growing prince or princess. If your partner does not stay in the same house with you, you can seek the help of lovely friends and family. You can control the level of attachment by allowing your toddler to get used to other people around you so that you can have some privacy and time to rest.

2. Help your child to be independent

If you are pregnant with a toddler, you can help him/her to be independent by guiding him/her in performing some simple age-appropriate tasks around the house. You can start teaching him how to eat by himself or clean himself up as his age is appropriate. Also, you might need to teach him how to climb up into the car sit, climb up into the couch, use a stair, or do any form of activity that can help to prevent you from carrying or lifting your toddler. Lifting your toddler while pregnant may not be convenient for you and so you can guide your little prince or princess to be independent.

3. Your home will be a mess for some time

You don’t need to bother yourself about making your house sparkling clean at this time unless you have a domestic helper who does this. If you need to clean the house yourself, then you need not over-stress yourself with house cleaning and taking care of your toddler coupled with the fact that you are pregnant. You can have a house cleaning plan or schedule which does not put too much stress on your body. However, if you feel you, do not have enough energy to clean up the house, then simply ask for help.

4. Let your toddler spend a weekend with loved one’s living close by, if possible.

This is very important so that you can have some time to rest while your kid is away. This is not a way to push the child away but for you to have time to take care of your body, rest, and for other personal tasks especially if you spend the whole week together. This will also help the child to get acquainted with others than just you alone.

5. plan a bonding time with your toddler and the new baby-to-be

You need to let your toddler know that He is expecting a kid sister or brother. Communicate this to him, let him touch the baby bump, speak to the baby, see the ultrasound picture, and even help in arranging the baby stuff if possible. This will prepare your toddler psychologically and emotionally. Also, when pregnant with a toddler, do not let him/her feel abandoned, show more love and care as your physical strength is sufficient.

7 Dangerous Types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder 

There are many types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, however, these 7 dangerous types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder are more common while any other type could be a variant of these.

7 Dangerous Types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

1. Adaptive narcissism

There are various manifestations of narcissism and one of the 7 dangerous types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is Grandiose narcissism. However, a grandiose narcissist can be adaptive or maladaptive. When someone who struggles with narcissistic personality disorder embraces positive characteristics, such as self-sufficiency and confidence, this is an example of adaptive narcissism. You can use them to help achieve your professional goals as they exhibit leadership qualities and have fulfilling relationships because they appear to be happier, healthier, and loving. A person with the adaptive type of narcissistic personality disorder usually has a sense of being better than anyone around them because of their high self-esteem and thus can overestimate their abilities and achievement in order to manipulate others.

2. Maladaptive narcissism

In contrast to adaptive narcissists, the toxic traits of maladaptive narcissism include a sense of entitlement and a willingness to exploit others. However, they can easily become angry and aggressive when they face resistance. Maladaptive narcissists are destructive and have a poor relationship style with others.

3. dysfunctional narcissism

A dysfunctional narcissist has an exaggerated sense of self-importance or vanity. Narcissists who are in your face tend to be outgoing, but they can also be hostile, self-centered, and demanding. They are bold and unafraid because of their inflated sense of self-worth and confidence. On the other hand, they are likely to have an inflated opinion of their own emotional quotient.

7 Significant Types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder 

4. stereotypical narcissist

The narcissism that isn’t as obvious or well-hidden. The stereotypical narcissist is someone who is incredibly arrogant, overly outspoken, and rude in social settings. This is an overt type of narcissistic personality disorder.

On the other hand, a stereotypical narcissist can be a covert narcissist, who is shy and reserved. They are easily hurt by criticism and have low self-esteem as a result. They aren’t as likely to exaggerate their emotional prowess as outright as overt narcissists, but they can be defensive and passive-aggressive.

5. communal narcissism

This is exhibiting the trait of Collective self-love and fairness and equity for all. People who exhibit traits of communal narcissism often believe they are exceptionally generous and concerned about equity. They give off the impression of being helpful and selfless to those around them. Their actions, however, are driven by a craving for prestige and a sense of entitlement.

Because of this, they don’t always act in accordance with their beliefs. When he helps you, he sees it as an opportunity to take you emotionally captive and to lord himself over you. He wants you to respect him for the help rendered and be eternally grateful. People with a communal type of narcissistic personality disorder claims and believe that they have a strong moral code however, their behaviors prove otherwise.

6. Antagonistic narcissists

This is Narcissism with an adversarial twist. Antagonistic narcissists, in contrast to communal narcissists, view social interactions as a competition. They believe that there is always a “loser” and a “winner” in any given situation, displaying a zero-sum mentality. Because of their worldview, they are always ready to start trouble, compete with others, and are prone to disagree and argue about issues. A person with this trait may be quick to criticize but slow or unable to forgive. He is arrogant and has the tendency to take advantage of others. He has a low trust level for others and thus feels everyone is against him and he always needs to outsmart them.

7. A malignant narcissist

The malignant type of narcissistic personality disorder is the most dangerous of the 7 Dangerous Types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Malignant narcissism is an extreme form of NPD that can cause significant harm to those around them. A malignant narcissist may exhibit the classic traits of narcissism, but they may also be hostile, paranoid, and sadistic. They frequently act in a way that shows a lack of concern for the welfare of others making the people living with or around them unsafe. Persons with malignant NPD can also have a high level of anxiety, making them in constant social trouble and engaging in substance abuse.

The bottom line

When you are in a relationship or living with someone who exhibits any of the above 7 Dangerous Types of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, you should know that you are not safe. Even though staying away from or saving yourself from narcissists may not be easy, having the knowledge of the type of narcissistic behavior that your partner exhibit will help you know how to relate with them.

Are you discouraged and depressed about the poor state of your career? These 7 best bible verses for career breakthrough keep you encouraged and increase your faith in God.

The post-covid-19 era has brought a lot of challenges to many businesses and many are yet to recover from the business loss because of covid-19. However, I want you to know that a career breakthrough is possible if you can trust God and call on him. God’s desire is for you to prosper in your business and all choices of career. You can bounce back on your feet again; your finances will be restored, and all debts paid.

Experiencing a career breakthrough begins with diligently seeking the face of God in prayers. You can experience a tremendous career breakthrough when you pray to God for help and guidance on how to handle your business challenges.

1. Isaiah 48:17

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.

Father in the name of Jesus, I ask that you will teach my hands to profit. I ask that you guide me to make the right business decisions. Lead me to the right clients, who are faithful and trustworthy to work with. Cause your favor to be upon me in Jesus’ name.

2.            James 1:5

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it shall be given to him.

Dear Lord Jesus, I ask that you will endow me with the wisdom needed, to operate this business successfully and to convince my clients.

3.            3 John 1:2

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I command prosperity into my business, career, health, and finances.

4.            Proverbs 18:16

A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.

Father in the name of Jesus, I activate your gifts and talents in my life. I decree I begin to function in the capacity you created me for. My gifts shall be made known and I shall come before kings and noblemen in Jesus’ name.

5.            Revelation 3:7

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

Father in name of Jesus Christ, I decree, that I am connected to the right clients and they do business with me for profit. I open the door of the business to me. I open the door to a career breakthrough for myself. My skills become known and needed.

6.            Proverbs 1:1-3

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

I decree that my heart is open to wisdom and my mind to understanding in all my business deals. I work and speak excellently in Jesus’ name.

7.            2 Timothy 1:7

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

I reject the spirit of fear, rather; I am empowered to take the calculated risks that lead to profit for my business. God make me strong-hearted, courageous, and brave.

The bottom line

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Know that God has a plan for your life. God’s plans for you are good and not evil plans to prosper you and give you the future that you are expecting. Therefore, do not be anxious or disturbed, when you experience a challenge in your business or career. God has the solution, and he will guide you into it.

Remember, Philippians 4:6-7 says;

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Do you need help with prayers? Find help here.