Tuesday 15 March 2016

" WOMEN COMPETE WITH YOUR PAST" SOME SAY LOVE NEVER WINS; A MUST READ!!!



                     DEACONESS IFY STEPHANIE IFEBUEME

Please can the audience know you and what you do?  
I am Ify Stephanie Ifebueme: A Chartered Accountant by Profession; wife to a wonderful man, biological mother of 3 lovely kids and spiritual mother to many amazing children. (I am a Minister of the gospel, a Deaconess in my church; Christ Embassy a.k.a Believers Loveworld Incorp, where my husband is a pastor.) 

How & When did you discover your gift / purpose?
I discovered my purpose when I gave my life to Christ and that was when I came in contact with Christ Embassy. I grew up knowing myself to be a shy and quiet kid, who was normally just in the background, even though I had all the attributes and abilities needed for the top. But when I discovered that I was born for a reason, I was born to make an impact and born to give lives a meaning and a purpose for living, I never looked back and I will also like to state that, I discovered my purpose in the place of service, very important to note this; when you humble yourself and serve, you discover yourself and discover innate gifts and opportunities you never knew existed. Service brings promotion, so people must learn to help others, in helping other and in serving, you are promoted.

As a woman what are you set goals?
I've learnt from my Pastor; Rev Dr Chris Oyakhilome that success is not about acquiring things for yourself, but imparting lives around you. It is imparting the world with the investments of your personality. 
A woman is more than Mrs A or Mrs B, she is more than just Mr A's wife or Mr B's wife. In other words, every woman must understand that she has something in her that the world needs (everyone actually; man or woman) and we all must unleash that special thing about us to bless the world.
My set goals are quite a lot and is in different categories- ministry,  personal, family, career, etc.. However I am all about imparting lives and helping to build others up. To make consistent progress and continually improve on myself because you can only give what you have on the inside.
  
What are the challenges you faced as a woman to get to where you are?
Challenges? To be honest nothing extraordinary. Challenges are bound to come at different times of our lives and there's nothing really wrong with facing challenges. What is wrong is allowing the challenges determine the course of our lives negatively; allowing the challenges stop you from achieving is the problem. So the challenges I have faced have made me stronger and better and have strengthened my faith and resolve to do more!

What do you think drives bad decision? 
Unnecessary competition, looking around instead of doing what you have been called to do, following the crowd instead of following the instruction of God to you personally; envy, strife, bitterness, misplaced priorities and identity crisis. 
We must learn that there is enough room at the top for everyone and everyone has her own lane and path. In your own path, there's all you need for a successful life but the moment one steps out of her path, she becomes suspectiple to danger. ' Women compete with your past not with one another.' Be inspired by others. Celebrate another person's success, be challenged positively to do more but it must not bring up negative emotions within us. These things lead to wrong decisions.

How can women / girls pay attention to their vision? Focus! 
In a world where lots of things crave for our attention and with all we have to do as women- home, relationships, career, business, we must learn to maintain our focus and drive. Stay motivated. Prayer helps to keep us driven and inspired in order to actually take steps towards achieving that vision. 
It's one thing to have a vision, it's another thing to have the drive and inspiration to actually go ahead and get it done. Again service! That thing you desire, celebrate it in someone who is already achieving it and go and help out, volunteer if you can, in doing so you open up yourself to learn, to grow and you sow seeds for your own vision by connecting to that one achieving it. 
Also do something everyday towards that dream no matter how little.

If you were not into what you do now, what else would you have done? 
Probably a medical doctor or a teacher. I am actually a teacher so to speak. I taught nearly all my adult life as my mum owns a group of schools so I was exposed to the training and courses so I am actually still a teacher 😊

What is your take on women / girls who spend so much money on material things? Well, it's their money isn't it? 
No one should have a say about how people spend their money except God really.
What is wrong is when it becomes materialism or again as a result of competition or jut to show off or they are spending money that is not theirs. 
Again, life is not just about today! There's a life to be lived. Money invested will be more beneficial than money spent. So investments are key. And then investments in eternal things are far better than things that pass away.

 One wake-up call to a woman / girl out there, what would it be?
Girl wake up! There's so much in you that this world needs. You were not born to just pass through life without making an impact. There's only one of you in this world. So be the best of you! If you faced a challenge in the past! Don't let it define you! Don't give that challenge a right over another second of your life! Rise above it and be the best of you! 

Finally, can you tell us more about what you do e.g. any community project or things you do in your or other communities to impact lives and how we can support your great cause:
We organize several programmes for different categories of people in our community- "Step Up" to inspire young people and celebrate young people making a difference;  
"Lady of Purpose Conference"  for ladies and several community groups for men, teenagers, women and youth. We are currently preparing for our 2016 edition of Lady of Purpose holding on Saturday May 14th and we are calling all on ladies to be part of this event. They will be inspired in an atmosphere of limitless possibilities as we come together as ladies in unity. Wow! When ladies gather in unity, great things happen. Also, we will be having an exhibition for ladies in business, rendering services or running charities on the day. This is to support local organisations and also to stir up others who have such visions letting them know they can do it. So ladies register today, just click the link!!  

 Registration is free but required:


Please state your motto / inspirational statement."  
Love! Love!! Love!!! Love always wins; No matter what, with love in your heart, you'll win.

  
W.I.F.E Media Statement of ENCOURAGEMENT!!!  
Thank you for your time and we say WELL DONE, We Celebrate You…

7 comments:

  1. My deconess always an inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Keep it up ify.you are really an inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you WIFE Media Team. Keep spreading!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for your kind comments Emeka,Colette and Ndidi. Thank God for the honour of touching lives

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for your kind comments Emeka,Colette and Ndidi. Thank God for the honour of touching lives

    ReplyDelete