Stepping out in faith

Welcome to "Enriching Lives. Inspiring Hope."

Shortly after I came to know Christ as my Lord, I was given an assurance in my heart that every event in my life will be used of God to fulfill His ultimate purpose for me and in the lives of those who He brings across my path. Truly, I have experienced God as the One “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from Him” (2Cor1:4) NIV. I have a story to tell of the goodness of God in my life.

I worked for 15 years as Nutrition Specialist with the UN promoting the nutritional status of women and children. A job I did with passion in 3 countries which provided me with enormous opportunities to touch lives in a unique way through training, advocacy and mobilizing support at different levels. Along side with my professional vocation, I have had the privilege of mentoring couples and young ladies, and providing premarital counseling. I have also had to live with a thorn in my flesh in form of a respiratory condition that escalated in 2007 which required that I be on continuous supplementary oxygen. As a result of the restriction on my physical activities, I had to stop working and stay at home.

My story chronicles the many victories God has given me while waiting for the perfection of my healing. For many years my husband and friends have nudged me to take the step of faith in sharing my story with a wider audience and let God use the same comfort with which He has comforted me to comfort others. This has been particularly resonant in the last few months since I started sharing inspirational articles by email to enrich lives, relationships and marriages, and encourage hope in those faced with life's challenging situations. This Blog is in part a response to that call.

I am a firm believer that applying the truth of God’s words will make Christian marriages strong, vibrant and full of joy, just as God has designed it to be. I hope to share with you some insights to enrich your marriage. I pray that God will also use my story to inspire you to keep hope alive in whatever struggles you may be faced with.

God so often bring people into our lives who leave an indelible mark on us. They add value to our lives by portraying God’s love through their selfless service. I have been a recipient of such remarkable acts of love. In response, I asked God to make me a conduit of His blessings and for His life to flow through me to touch lives for good.

I desire to do the things the Lord has called me to do with passion, fullness of life and energy. I desire to serve the Lord with all my strength.  I can testify of the grace God has caused to abound to me to restore my life and strength. I refuse to give up on the prospect of living life to the full and to the overflowing. I hold on tenaciously to the hope of fulfilling my God-given potentials, dreams and vision.

It is my prayer that that this will be the beginning of a long relationship of mutually enriching each other's lives.

Irene O.

UPDATE:
On June 2nd, 2013, the ventilator was switched off and the oxygen supplementation was stopped. For the first time after 6 years of continuous dependence on oxygen, I took a breath without external support and my saturation remained stable. Hallelujah, Praise be to God,