Photo Credit: Sisi Jemimah.

I am sure y’all are wondering what’s with the title 😄.

Okay here’s the thing, For a while now been craving for MoinMoin (Steamed bean pudding), it is a Nigerian Yoruba delicacy I grew up eating almost every Saturday morning whilst growing up with my parents. This meal requires so much skill and effort or  it would go completely wrong, so on getting married and having my own family I hardly make this meal as I don’t have the energy nor the time spending hours making a meal I would eat within a few minutes😜😜. I make it once a while though but I use the already split beans which is easier.

So fast forward to some weeks back I promised the family we would be having MoinMoin and Ogi (A yorubalized version of custard made from Corn). I forgot I did not have the beans needed for the moinmoin, we usually have the ready made beans which is already split and ready to use. It is so much easier and time saving to use.

Fast forward to Friday evening while at work I remembered oh I promised my people Moinmoin tomorrow morning Oh dear I have no already split beans😢 On my way back home I made a stop at the shops that evening, alas they have closed and will not open until 9am the next morning. If I decide to go to the shops in the morning we will not be having breakfast until 12pm lol brunch right. However I have the Nigerian Brown beans, using this beans meant that I have to physically break it down myself and remove the skin, there is a technique to doing this, I have not done this in over 10years I told myself. I kept asking myself are you really sure about this why not forget about this and apologise to everyone, or preferably make up an excuse and make your normal English breakfast, then you can do this next week. There’s many Saturdays you know!

But being the resilient human being that I am, I decided I will go ahead if it does not work at least I tried, I woke up early that morning started prepping around 6am so if it doesn’t work I can easily opt for plan B without anyone even noticing. I soaked my beans for about 20 minutes. I started peeling the beans and to my amazement I finished in 15mins😳😳

I shouted in amazement yasssssssss  mama taught me well. I was full of Joy like a school kid who has just been handed an award.

Then right there and then the Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks and it occurred to me this is a skill I have not practiced in over 10 years, which I honestly thought I had lost, I thought I couldn’t do it, the devil so tried to convince me that I couldn’t I undermined my skills and abilities. I doubted myself. Not knowing that the skill was still there lying dormant and waiting to be re-activated.

The little things we take for granted eh, The God given abilities, creativity which He has deposited in us. Some we used to do and stopped thereby it’s gone into hibernation. Some we haven’t even harnessed yet because we do not know it’s there, some is due to fear of failing, fear of what people say, fear of letting folks down.

Guess what, God has given each and every one of us special talents and special abilities unique to us. He has deposited something in us.

Train yourself, teach yourself, Invest in yourself, when I say Invest I don’t mean go and pay to learn new skills, I mean Invest time in yourself, Take time out to polish your skills or preferably.

We live in a beautiful where Technology is advanced you can easily learn anything on the Internet nowadays all you need to do is ask Mr Google😜

Learn new skills or better still develop the existing ones. Stop believing the lies of the devil that you aren’t good enough. You are Good, you are excellent you’ve got super powers, you are an hero. God created you in his image, remember He is your father so you are just like him.

My moinmoin turned out super tasty, The parents-in-laws were super grateful and impressed. My Mother-In-Law looked at me and said but you really are a good cook you know. (When your Mother-In-Law tells you cook well then you know that you have passed the ultimate test😎😎) I didn’t give up and I’m super grateful for that as simple as this may sound, this means a lot to me 😎 I felt fly afterwards. Guess what we have been making Moinmoin almost every 2 weeks ever since awesome isn’t it😂

I challenge you today, there are some skills lying dormant in that beautiful brain,  why not re-activate it today, or better still pick up a new positive habit, challenge yourself today.

Develop and build on the old ones, revive the yourself. Check up recipes online my favourites are K’ s Cuisine and Sisi Jemimah for Nigerian delicacies they are amazing chefs and their recipes are everywhere on the Internet. For my English meals I use BBC food and Jamie Oliver, Cook a new delicacy which you haven’t tried in a while. I am challenging myself, I used to knit as a young child and I have recently picked it up to pick Up. Watch YouTube tutorials if you are struggling or ask for help. At the beginning of this year one of the new skills I want to learn is swimming and cycling (Sign of the Cross😃). I will keep you up with my progress. I am Challenging you today. Get up do something new, do something different.

James 1:5 “If anyone of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given unto him.

You can ask him for anything you see and He will help you.

Until next time, Remember you are Abba’s special child.

IfeOluwa