Writing From Scratch Is No Longer Scratching, Is It?

I do not promote myself enough. No, scratch that. I do not market my products and services enough. It’s high time I started hyping up my own enterprise. 

Let me know if it’s working. ;)

‘I Write’ or ‘AI Right’

Recently, someone asked me why I had not been churning out content as I was doing before I got married. I laughed and I was surprised by the sound of that laughter.

Prior to that moment, such question would have taken me aback. I would have beaten myself up for not producing fruits as much as I wanted to. Thankfully, I had grown into a woman who knows what she has been called to bear in this season. 

If it was not because the question came right after a heartfelt appreciation of how one of my blog posts had helped her out, I would not have bothered with a response. However, I gave a reply stating that my content focus had evolved into videos and encouraged her to subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

Perhaps the reply was not satisfactory enough. This person now mistakenly said: Ahan, there is ChatGPT to help you create content nah. You can even transcribe your videos to text with AI.

I laughed again. But this time, the laughter was a private moment within me. No one heard it.

Major Takeaway from the ‘Just Us Girls’ Conference 2023

I am so happy. No, happy is an understatement. I am overjoyed! This year’s Just Us Girls Conference themed ‘WOWMAN’ was brought together specifically for me, right in this season. Wow! Like, I mean! 

I’m really loving how God has been so intentional about me this year (and this month, in particular). Thank You, my Sweet Jesus! 

WOWMAN Conference 2023

I am big on attending conferences, and I derive satisfaction in sharing my key lessons and notes with you. Remember when I shared my highlights from The Spirit-Life Conference in 2017? How about my notes from a Ruth-Naomi Meeting in 2018? And my lessons from the Excellent Leadership in 2019? Aha, you see! 

I have always enjoyed attending events that are geared towards my growth — mentally, socially, physically, and most importantly, spiritually. As long as I am led to attend, I prepare myself to receive everything that God intends to pour out into me. 

Like a butterfly, I am consistently and constantly living in a state of evolution. 

I practically live on knowing that there is an atmosphere that I need to be brought into right before my next upgrade. It could either be at a prayer meeting or a conference or from a place of pain and rejection. I am always looking out for where and how my heart can be stirred and my spirit will be lit up. I am always looking out for the WORD that will make the babies in my womb to leap. The Amaka you knew six months ago is MOST POSSIBLY not the same Amaka you will meet today.

Never Ever Write “My Husband Said” In A Professional Email

If you are reading this paragraph right now, just start laughing at me already. Just laugh. I didn’t know how funny the mail sounded until those who heard it started laughing about it. Lmho. 

Avoid Personal Reference In An Official Email

If you have been an ardent follower of Heart Rays, then you’d know that I share from real life experiences. I make it so raw that you can almost feel the emotions pouring onto the page. Yeah, I get that feedback from my readers A LOT. However, today is not going to be so emotional because I just want to get it over with. It’s 23:47 and I need to go to bed because I have to host a virtual brainstorming session with my team tomorrow morning. 

So, here’s the gist: Nigeria just concluded her gubernatorial election which brought a lot of tension in my local area due to tribal conflicts and electoral violence. It felt unsafe going to work today (Monday). My husband vehemently insisted that I stay back home with the girls as well. 

So I sent a mail to the HR stating that “my husband said...”. 

Please, laugh at me.

I don’t even know what I was thinking! 

Don’t be like me. Here are some reasons why you should AVOID using personal references in your professional emails:

1. It undermines your Credibility

When you're communicating in a professional setting, it's essential to maintain impartiality and avoid introducing personal biases or opinions into the conversation. Relying on someone else's opinion or authority in a professional setting suggests that you're not confident in your own knowledge or ability to make decisions. This can undermine your credibility in the workplace.

New Job Jitters? A Guide to Navigating Your First Day with Confidence and Success

I recently read an article I wrote that was titled "The First Day At A New Job", and I couldn't help smiling. Little Amaka has grown into a Senior Executive in the PR/Media Industry. Lol. Yeah, I’m back to full-time employment. :)

How To Survive Your First Day At A New Job

Starting a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. As you prepare to enter a new working environment, you may feel uncertain about what to expect and how to navigate your new role. But don't worry - with the right mindset and approach, you can make your first day at a new job a success.

As someone who has been through this experience before, I have some advice for those of you who may be starting a new job soon. Here are some tips to help you survive your first day at a new job:

1. Come with an open mind

One of the most important things you can do on your first day at a new job is to come with an open mind. Be willing to learn, to ask questions, and to take on new challenges. Remember that you are there to grow and develop in your career, and that will require a willingness to be open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

50+ Ways To Treat Yourself With Love

Hi! Valentine is over, isn’t it? How are you feeling today? I mean, how are YOU really feeling? Are you being kind to yourself? Have you compared yourself to someone else today? Are you going on and about the past? I honestly want to know.

As Christians, we have definitely read the commandment,“Love Your Neighbour As Yourself.” Yeah? Great. Today’s article emphasizes‘As Yourself’ because how can you love your neighbour as yourself when you don’t even know how to treat yourself with love?

How To Practise Self-Care Using the 5 Love Languages

Yep. It’s post Valentine’s Day, let’s treat ourselves to top-notch self-care by diving into the five love languages and how you can practice them on yourself.

The concept was originally created by Gary Chapman in his book, The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, based on his experience facilitating marriage counselling. Essentially what he found out was that couples expressed love in different ways, and if they weren’t clear on how the other person liked to receive love, chances are there was a disconnect in the relationship.

I completely agree with Gary.

Everyone gives and receives love differently. And I’m not just talking about relationships…I’m talking about loving yourself, too! Your love language can also translate into a self care love language and can guide which activities will be most rewarding for you.

Wait.

How To Pour From An Empty Cup When You’ve Been Called

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup”? Oh, well. It is not written in the Bible and I have been asked to inspire you so that you can destroy that empty cup - the particular one you’ve been trying to fill.

Pouring Yourself

As a Christian. Wife. Mother of two beautiful girls. Author, blogger, teacher, speaker, and book lover. I am heavy on SELF CARE this year. I said it here. Yeah.

HeartRays (This blog) has been my safe space to share all things Christian - singlehood, (un)employment, marriage, fashion, motherhood and conservative issues since 2014. I believe in bold truth-telling, authenticity and purposeful living.

Each time I am privileged to look back on this journey, I am utterly thankful and filled with courage to just keep showing up. Blogging is a form of self-care. I only realized this a few minutes ago. Immediately I decided to draft this blog post, I started getting it.

It was a lightbulb moment when I realized that sharing my life (whether by writing, speaking or taking photographs) is a form of self care. I imagined it like a cup being poured out and the Holy Spirit tells me, “no girl, rivers of living water are flowing out of you!” 

STYLE: Mummy and Daughter In Ankara Skirt

Last week, I told you I’d be sharing more pictures of me and my girl(s) matching. Yeah? That’s just what today’s post is all about.

I love to match with my girls.

No doubt, having a baby is one of the biggest
joys of life, one that is beyond words. However,
there are plenty of reasons to rejoice in having a
baby girl(s)! There is something very different
about playing dress-up with your little girl. The
beautiful dresses, the varied patterns, the
cheery colours, the accessories, it just never
ends.

STYLE: I Can’t Wait To Start Matching Outfits With My Daughter(s)

Trends come and go in fashion, but some trends seem to stay forever. One of those styles that have been around for several years now is “twinning”, or like I prefer to call it, “matching” — simply wearing outfits of the same colour/fabric/style combinations with two or more people at the same time in the same location. This can be applied to friends, siblings, lovers, and family members.

I loovvvvveeeet! 

Mummy and Daughter Matching Outfits

Matching outfits is my thing. It’s so much fun to do. It gets my creative juice flowing. It takes a lot of time sometimes, but hey, the positive feeling it gives outweighs the cons. Amongst other things, I believe it fosters the feeling of closeness and intimacy.

As a Christian single lady, I matched outfits with my mum, brothers, friends, colleagues, and even strangers (coincidentally, lol). 

Then I got married, I haven’t stopped matching with my husband ever since! 

See 100 Times I Matched with My Husband 

Now, I’m a mother of two girls, tell me, what do you expect? To keep matching, of course! Haha!

New Hair, New Me

Welcome to a brand new blog post written by a blogger wearing a brand new hair in a brand new Year! Yipeee! 

Happy New Hair

Riding through the waves of last year was as one would say. . .very chaotic but I made it through the storm. I welcomed a lot of big changes and one of them was to birth another human being and I am super grateful that I did! Glory to God!

It was 4 weeks following the birth of my daughter. I brushed my hair and was quite shocked to see a large amount of hair attached to the bristles of my brush.

I had been forewarned about it, but this was worse than I imagined. By ‘it’, I mean postpartum hair loss. 

Two Babies Under Two Years?! How?

Having babies close in age is not for the faint of heart. Phew. There is double diaper changes, double crying, double rocking to sleep and double everything. My two children are barely 15 months apart. This has been the most terrifying and interesting time of my life. 

I share how I’m dealing with all the emotions and tantrums in the video below: