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You know what they say: One’s man trash is another man’s treasure. A man bought a painting for $125 at a thrift store that turned out to be a priceless work of art. UPI reports how William Pugh—an assistant professor of practice for the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security—was browsing through the thrift store in Covington, Ga., with his wife. Pugh eventually came upon a painting depicting the biblical story of Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden, and suspected it was an original work by African American artist Keith Bankston due to the signature at the bottom, placing its estimated worth far above the $125 price tag. Read the entire article

My name is Okpe John Marvin, a.k.a Gold coin, I hold a bachelor's degree in sociology from federal university, Dutsinma, katsina state, Northwest of Nigeria. I am a prolific songwriter, singer, publisher on Amazon KDP, and my music genre is Afro-pop. I started writing songs professionally since 2010, I am the last born from a family of seven, I speak Idoma, English, Hausa and Yoruba. My biggest aspiration in life is for my music to be heard by billions of audiences out there. My favourite quote is, "the world won't give you what you deserve until you forcefully demand for it". My likes are honesty and humility, and my dislikes are pride and arrogance. I pray for God's grace to stay focus on this hustle until I become a success story to be told to the younger generation to come. The hustle is music, and I ain't quitting until my bank account is fat and shapeless. Peace, Gold coin.

It is the tree that feels the pain of parting Because the leaf has already passed away When the two were parted by an autumn breeze Sudden like an unexpected sneeze the leaves began to dance and sway and before the tree could even try her branches started to tremble and cry and the leaves began to fall It is the tree that feels the pain of parting because the leaf has already passed away ~ Priya Patel 🕉

I carried you through heats of hell and blanketed you in the blistering snow nurturing you against my breast afraid of letting you go You are the one thing in my life that can never be taken away Cherished dearly in every way You are all of my memories ~ ©️ Priya Patel 🕉

It was a shock when Mary discovered that the husband she just got married to was a Muslim. Her husband, Ahmed, who disguised to be called Mike, was thinking of how to find a virtuous lady. He hoped to find one in a church which prompted him to started attending church services. He joined the workforce immediately and he was very active. He was a center of attraction to the innocent ladies who hoped for his proposal. Among the bevy of ladies in the church, he spot Mary, a lady who was passionate for God, a talented singer, and of a good character. Every brother wanted to take her to the altar. However, it was unfortunate that she agreed to go with Mike. Her dream and desire was to get married to a man who was also vibrant for God. Little did she know that he was a chameleon. The brief story narrated above is a fiction. However, it reflects some people's experiences of marriages built on pretence. Experiences like this have been narrated to singles who are perturbed and confused on how to find the right partner. To avoid experiences like that of Mary, some have concluded that spiritual vibrancy is not the only criterion to look out for or consider when choosing whom to marry. Beyond that, there other things to consider. God leads his children to the right partner in diverse ways. He cannot be boxed into a particular religious system. Yours is that you should ensure that the leadings you claimed to have received is truly from God and not your own motives. In addition to that, there are proven counsels by experts that can guide your steps as well which will be shared in this post. • Desire a marriage partner. It is not just to get married to someone to acquire reputation, to be addressed with Mr. and Mrs title, or to become mother or father of four children. Rather, desire to have a marriage that glorifies and brings pleasure to God. ..The desire of the righteous shall be granted"( Pro.10:24) • Pray about it. Finding a virtuous woman and faithful man is a good thing. And God is faithful to give good things to those who ask Him including marriage. "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"Matthew 7:11 No earthly parent will give a harmful thing to a child, and God is more loving than earthly parents. Be sure, therefore, that God will give you a partner after Hiso ownheart. • Have a deep sleep. God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam while He took his rib to form a woman and brought her to him. Taking a deep sleep implies resting on and trust in God's Word as He prepares and equip the bone of your bones for you. You need not to be anxious about marriage. Do not allow pressure from parents and peers to push you into a pit. Get busy with God's purpose for your life while God forms your Mr. or Mrs. Right for you. • Make yourself as good as the type of the person you desire. If you desire a pastor as a partner, you must build yourself up in the things of God. Position yourself in God's will, purge yourself of every impurity, and exhibit the qualities you want in your mate. • Choose a marriage partner who has the same beliefs as yours. A christian should a marry Christian who is not just a churchgoer, but also a genuine child of God. The church is like an hospital that provides cure for sick people. There are spiritually sick people who need genuine salvation to be healed in the church. This requires that you open your spiritual eyes to discern a real child of God. Allow God's Spirit to speak to you. • Anyone you want to marry should be the type that you're compatible with, 'Two cannot together except they be agreed', (Amos 3:3). God will not lead you to someone that you will always disagree with. Compatibility does not necessarily means similarities, but it also includes the ability to go and get along despite your differences. • Man is made up of the spirit, soul, and body. Choose someone who agrees with you in those three compartments. • Seek Godly counsels from god-fearing elders and from the Word of God. God's Word contains all things that make for life and godliness including marriage. When the Bible forms the foundation of your steps, you can be sure of success because the Scripture is the only sure foundation. May every single be granted the favour to choose right and have a successful marriage. @ Gbemiro Solomon Ojekunle October 3, 2022.

ByClaudia Rinkeon with opening by Susan Smoter We are living in challenging, but exciting times. The world is changing fast and humans may not be well equipped to handle this pace of change. Researchers are linking rising rates of despair (especially among the young who never lived in slower, less free-form societies) to people seeking ways to rebel, to raise the alarm and cry out "enough!" (December 2020) On the search for solutions the arts and creative industries are often overlooked; whereas art has the power to move people and offer new experiences. Art presents reality in a way that may change the vision and perspective of the audience towards the world. Be it painting, drama, song, a novel or film, art may motivate people to think about life positively or differently. Art offers a unique way of understanding the meaning of life and how beauty and pleasure could be part of existence. It combines the imaginary world with reality and encourages people to change their thinking and perceptions. Good art has the power to engage with the world to change the world. I truly believe that creativity drives innovation, and it is creative innovation that will disrupt the current systems that are failing people and planet – Kerry Bannigan, Conscious Fashion Campaign More and more artists aim to breakdown rules and to provide a source of stimulus. They are becoming rebels with a cause, who are providing their audiences with truly transformative experiences on intellectual, emotional and sometimes even physical levels. Arts and culture encourage us to trust our intuition, embrace uncertainty and to find unorthodox ways of approaching contemporary issues. Art can take the form of protest, addressing political and social issues with direct action. Works of art are potentially a great source of inspiration for economic and political leaders, activists and everybody who is interested in finding solutions for a world in crisis or who just wants to improve his or her own life by being more creative and self-expressed. Everyone is an artist is a famous quote by Joseph Beuys. Beuys did not mean that everyone is an artist or creator in the usual and narrow sense, like a painter or a writer. For Beuys artist summarizes the essence of what it means to be a human being; the deep need and fundamental ability to create and to be creative. The way creativity is expressed, depends on the individual. Some are filmmakers, composers or sculptors whereas others use their creativity to be a skilled mother, manager or even politician. Recently the business and marketing guru Seth Godin has used artist and art in similar ways. He speaks of business as art and of leadership as a way of being an artist, of giving ones unique talents in an unmistakable and particular way. I do think that art and creativity truly have the power to change societies and the world. It will take collective effort of artists, institutions and individuals to envision a better future and to take steps towards this vision. As the playwright Jonathan Larson said: The opposite of war isn’t peace; it’s creation. (link to original article)