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Urenna is relatively new to the blog writing scene. She writes about everything she can, her blog is based on her experiences as a young person, both past and present and so might be of particular interest to the younger generation. It seems growing up in today’s world is extremely hard work. It takes an intentional individual to live a focused life.
She writes about issues such as the pressures of getting married to abstaining from sexual relations whilst dating. What caught my eye about Urenna is the fact that she writes poetry. Now you all know that I cannot resist an intricately woven piece. That is just one of the reasons why I have decided to feature her.
So, please welcome Urenna, our guest blogger this week. She is here to tell us a bit about herself and encourage us along the way.
Urenna, I simply love your name. Where is it from, and what does it mean?
Haha, it’s so funny you should ask me this question first, because I get asked it all the time. My name is Nigerian, specifically from the Igbo tribe. It is not very common and to be honest, even my parents have never given me the actual meaning because it’s difficult to translate into English. The closest I’ve gotten is ‘father’s joy’, but the joy they’re talking about is a really high level of elation.
I am intrigued by the topics you choose to write about and the way you lay it out plain and simple to your audience. What made you decide to start a blog and write?
I wish I could say I got some sort of revelation, but really, I started writing because I wasn’t working at the time, and I was bored out of my mind. Seriously, blogging saved my life; it gave me something worthwhile and fun to do. I write about anything that pops into my head, but it tends to flow more easily when it’s something that’s had a profound effect on me I guess. Oh, and I write plain and simple because there’s never any need for too much grammar!
What do you do in your day to day job and how does this inform the topics you write about?
I’m actually a pharmacist in ‘real life’ and so far this has not come into play in many of my writings apart from a little bit in the post I wrote about virginity. At the moment though, I feel very strongly about encouraging and inspiring young people in their walks with God, and especially to be all they can be. I want people to see from my writings that I’m really just a normal (although admittedly sometimes weird) young Christian woman, figuring out her purpose in life one day at a time and trying to get as many people into the Kingdom as she does so.
Having read your blog in great detail, one of the posts that got me laughing, but at the same time shaking my head in despair is the post called ‘The pressure to Get married’. I sense your irritation and sheer tiredness with this issue. If there was a message you could get across to the parents of single people about this issue, what would it be?
Thank you so much for this question; I wrote that post because obviously it was something that affected me personally. I hope parents of singletons read this; Please, please, please! Don’t put any more pressure on your child to locate a mate. Don’t give random people their numbers and don’t call them every day to ask them if they still don’t have anyone in their lives or why they’re home alone on Valentine’s Day. Most single people do want to get married, and are doing the best they can to make it happen (although I agree some of us could try harder). The best I believe you can do as a parent is pray for your child and talk to them in a loving way so that they can open up to you and be more receptive when you try to match them up with that nice single young man/woman you were talking to at church, at the bus stop or at that party!
What future plans should we look out for, concerning you and blogging?
Well, as for me and blogging, I hope to continue for as long as I can; I must say I’ll be heading back to work soon so I don’t know how consistent I’ll be, but I will try my best. Apart from that though, one of my dreams (as is with most writers) is to write and publish a book. I actually have a manuscript for a book I’ve written on how to move from being single to being happily married (crazy I know, especially as I’m not even there myself but it’s a good book I promise) so if there are any publishers out there willing to take a look…
Tell us something quirky or funny about yourself.
I’m really impatient when I’m reading. For example, if a chapter in a book or even a short story I’m reading is very exciting, I go straight to the end to see what happens. I’ve ruined many a reading experience for myself this way. Also, I have to read in complete silence. And I mean COMPLETE silence. I’ve been known to remove the batteries from my clock because the ticking was driving me insane.
Below, some encouragement to Singles, from Urenna
THE PURPOSE DRIVEN SINGLE
There was a time in my life when all I dreamt of for myself was to get married. I didn’t really have any major future ambitions or goals. I mean I knew I wanted to go as far as possible in my career but that was about it. As a matter of fact, I had to give a presentation about myself on my first day at a new job and one of the questions I had to answer was ‘What is one of your life ambitions?’ My answer? ‘To get married’. No joke. So when I suddenly found myself single I had to rethink my goals. It’s kind of impossible to get married with no one around to marry you see. So God began to show me stuff. He began to teach me that there is so much more to life than getting married. Whilst yes, the Bible says two are better than one, I began to learn that ‘one’ is not in any way a bad thing or some form of disease!
So many singles and young people today are just like I was. They spend most of their single years waiting for that Mr/Miss Right to come along, that they miss the treasures that are to be found during this period. These treasures can come in a variety of ways; amazing friendships, wonderful life experiences, fulfilling service to God in ministry, just to name a few. Many of us don’t ever sit and wonder if God actually has something in mind for us to do; you know a plan /a purpose. The truth is that if you believe He created you, it means that He created you for a purpose. God doesn’t do stuff just for the sake of it. If He created you for a purpose then you’d better start discovering it, because chances are your single years will probably be the best time for you to serve God unreservedly. Husbands and wives and kids take up a lot of one’s time.
Even the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12 v1; ‘Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come… (TNIV) If God chooses to bless you with the gift of marriage, it means a time will come when you won’t be able to serve Him as much as you’re able to now that you’re single. So what are you doing with your life as a single person? I always think to myself that I don’t want to wake up one day as a married woman and wonder what I did during my single years, or remember that I spent all my single years pining for a husband. To me, that’ll be a tragedy. Especially as I’m told that marriage is not always the land flowing with milk and honey that most of us would like to believe it is.
So after I regained my single status, I started to seek God about my purpose(s) and it became clear to me that He had so much in mind for me to get on with, and so much that He’d deposited within me to enable me fulfil whatever ministry He was calling me into. The truth is that you can’t really live the abundant life Christ promises if you’re not living a life of purpose, and accomplishing the work for which He created you. So, my advice to singles is this; stop seeing yourself as just a marital status – single or married – see yourself as the person God created you to be; whole and complete. Seek His purpose for your life and start working at fulfilling it. When you do that, all things (including the right man/woman) will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).
SINGLE WITH A DIFFERENCE
I don’t just exist; I live
For there’s so much within me, so much that I need to give
I’m not just a youth; I’m a light to my generation
A youth on a mission, taking God’s word to all the nations
I’m not just a woman; I’m a woman of destiny, a woman of purpose
Created unto good works for Him that didn’t just die, but also rose
I’m not just waiting to get married; for Mr Right to put a ring on it
I’m already betrothed, to the One in whom I’m truly made complete
I’m not just a single; that label does not define me
I’m a single with a difference
exploring the fullness of who God made me to be
© Urenna Ebillah, May 2011
There you have it people. I am loving this young lady, I tell you I am. Thank you so much Urenna for gracing us with your presence, your words of wisdom and the timely encouragement to the single people. It indeed is true, there is a lot of pressure for anyone single to get married, however, we must remember that married is not something we must rush into. It is a God ordained institutuon. There are so many things to understand such as how we fit into the destiny of our spouse and how the marriage evntually fits into God’s purpose for our lives… as one (husband & wife).
Thank you once again Urenna. So what do you think about Urenna precious people? Please leave a comment.
You can read more articles by Urenna at her blog FREE TRUTHS
Right, all the men, form an orderly queue, you all need to be interviewed by me first! ha!
urenna is the BOMB.
Shes one of my teachers.lol
“I’m really impatient when I’m reading. For example, if a chapter in a book or even a short story I’m reading is very exciting, I go straight to the end to see what happens.” <— smh
I love what you wrote about Marriage. I think too many women now-a-days are too addicted to getting married as if marriage is the completion of life….so kudos for adding an interesting twist and perspective because like you said: "Husbands and wives and kids take up a lot of one’s time."
@Lekan, thank you so much. You’re one of my teachers too!
@Ofili, what are you shaking your head for? Don’t worry I won’t do that to your book!
Indeed, life does not begin at ‘married’. I pray more people would realise that and start living, instead of just existing whilst waiting for marriage to happen.
Talk about poetry in motion. I love the article. Yep, husbands, wivies and kids absolutely take too much of your time (not that am married but I’ve seen). We are whole and complete in God first. Everything he adds to us is the result of his pressed down, shaken together and running over blessing from him.
I used to read the end of books just after reading a few sentences in the first chapter. Got really bad, Iiterally had to force myself to read from front to back, so I feel ur pain on spoiling the reading experience.
Keep up with the encouraging blog and all the best with your book
Taht was truely Sensatıonal. She´s such an Inspıratıonal wrıter and poet. Thıs really encouraged me. Thumbs up Urenna!!!
@Benjamin, thanks a lot. True talk; our completeness should come from our relationship with God, not our husband/wife (sorry Jerry Maguire!) And I’m glad someone else understands how I feel with the whole reading thing!
@Debbie, I’m glad you’re encouraged. Your comment encouraged me too!
Urenma! My pretty urenna ebillah. So Proud of u, loved the poem & would definitely love to hear the music to it. And hope when u start signing autographs u don’t forget me. So excited for u!
This is an excellent piece Urenna. I know a lot of people that need to read this – not once, but several times over. There is more to all of us than any status, no matter how desirable or indeed God-ordained. We must seek to first BE, before we DO, before we can HAVE (anything, in this case a spouse).
God keep you, stay in Him, and keep shining.
Beautifully written Urenna. As I’m sure most of us can relate to what you wrote. It links in with what God has been telling me recently. I think you said it best when you said ‘ always think to myself that I don’t want to wake up one day as a married woman and wonder what I did during my single years, or remember that I spent all my single years pining for a husband’.
I look forward to reading more of your blog. Keep up the great work.
@Chisome, thank you so much for the encouragement, you’re the best! (don’t tell the others!)
@Yinka, ‘We must seek to first BE, before we DO, before we can HAVE (anything, in this case a spouse)’- Love it! God bless you muchly. Thanks so much for sharing this too!
@Alecia, Thank you so much for the encouragement, I appreciate it!
Urenna! I didnt even know you blogged (am i possibly the only one left that doesnt?!)!
This is a beautifully simple yet on-point piece! And i wholeheartedly agree with alot of what you said…infact if i may, i’d say our experiences (from being in a relationship – and thinking only of marriage! – to suddenly finding ourselves single) are parallel – that was pretty much what happened to me and rather hapharzardly it seemed, God took my sudden “availability” and caused me to begin seeking after His purpose (and through alot of the people presently in my life), little by little, this masterpiece is finally being unravelled! TGBTG!
I am happy to see God’s Hand revealed so clearly in you! Continue to hold fast to Him cos we know the greatest thing that can ever happen to us is God! Not marriage, not kids! Just Him
Pleasure reading from you and looking forward to walking my fingers over your pages soon!
Its Rare to see Gifts like Urenna, More Grace as you write and consciously enlarge God’s Kingdom