I AM AN AFRICAN WOMAN GETTING A DIVORCE

 Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are you all doing today? I hope you are all having an amazing day and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day. Thank you all for joining me.

So, Divorce is the topic for today. Let's make it Divorce and being an African woman. According to the African culture, specifically Nigeria, when a woman gets married, she is expected to stay married forever. Women are raised to look forward to marriage and raising kids. There's a big difference between how the men are raised from how the women are raised. Men are raised to be independent, pursue careers and titles, while women are raised to prepare for marriage and child-bearing. It is a night and day difference. 

The attention I have received from my public divorce is crazy. The society expects a woman to be broken and sad when her marriage ends. As women, we are expected to conform to society's norm of being broken and walking around with a long face after a marriage ends or a relationship ends. Whereas, the man is expected to be strong and macho. Going about his business as usual like nothing happened.

Well, I refuse to be broken. I refuse to conform to society's expectation of me. In fact, I will shine my brightest yet, in this season of my life. As everyone now knows, I am not your average African woman. I won't endure pain and discomfort, hoping for a miracle. Whilst God is obviously telling me to pursue my peace and joy. I have discovered that I am a Miracle.

I no longer have to convince myself to be happy because I am happy. I have learned to be ENOUGH within myself and truly, that is liberating. The realization that I don't need a man to feel whole is truly amazing. Ok, let's face it, I am Maryam. I am a Queen. I don't live by society's or other's expectations of me. I connect to my God and follow His guidance as I go. I have always been this way; A TRUE  seeker but really needed to expand spiritually, in order to truly accept this side of me.

People's opinions are simply what they are "opinions." They don't define me. Society's expectations can not limit me. I refuse to be a robot controlled by society's buttons. Everyone of us came to this Earth to expand and create a life we love living. Whether that happens to involve others or not, we should keep moving. We can't allow people or things to keep us from creating a life that is full of joy and sweetness.

I am grateful to God for this awakening and the Grace to stay grounded in God. This truly is my biggest blessing. All of society's rules and expectations are limits, if we accept them without questioning,they become imposed on us. Every limiting belief you accept, becomes a part of your experience. 

Many African women stay in difficult/abusive marriages because of the fear of what people might say, the fear of being alone and almost always because of their children. For me, for the sake of my positive energy and my kids, I am embracing this new life. I want my kids to feel the right energy around them and truly learn about their true identity in God. 

Having peace is priceless. Having joy is priceless. These qualities are all part of who we are and nothing or anyone should be allowed to steal our joy.

Today, as I write this post, I chose peace, I choose joy and most of all, I choose me.

Society can have it's expectations and people can have their biases. In the grand scheme of things, it all doesn't matter until I allow it. I, MARYAM aka Maryam's Joyful Life, refuse to allow anyone or thing steal my joy.

With gratitude,

Maryam

TWO OF MY FAVORITE DRESSES|| FEMMELUXE

 

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope you're having an amazing day and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day. Thank you all for visiting my blog today.

I did a video a few days ago, showcasing my scarves collection. In that video, I promised to make a post with links to purchase the dresses I wore on the video. Please, look below for the links to the dresses I wore in the video.

White Mesh Floral Sleeve Bodycon Dress: https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/white-mesh-floral-sleeve-bodycon-mini-dress-kellen

My beads are from my store: www.maryamsjoyfullifeapparel.com. Get 10% off your order: MARYAMSJOYFULLIFE10

Black Belted Bodycon Midi Dress: https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/black-belted-bodycon-midi-dress-angelica

I hope that this blog helps you find your next favorite dress.

In case you missed the video of my head scarves, here's the link:

With love and gratitude,

Maryam

PLACES I WOULD LOVE TO VISIT SOON

 

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are you all doing today? I hope you're all having a great day and are not letting anyone or thing steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

So, I love visiting new places and experiencing new cultures. I have been looking at a few places I would love to visit soon for a while now. Each time I think about these places, I get excited and hopeful. Do you like to travel? Have you ever been to any of these places?

One day, I'll take a picture beside the Eiffel Tower with my kids by my side.

When I think about Paris, France, I think about love. I love the feeling of love and the warmth that comes from knowing that I am loved unconditionally by God. The thought of going to Paris makes me giddy. I want to visit the City of Love already. I will be bringing my kids with me of course. I want to travel the world with my sweet babies. I want them to grow up with a great experience of the world and an informed view of how this world is. The beauty in the different places we visit. The excitement of meeting new people and experiencing new cultures makes me smile. I would love to eat some French foods. I haven't had French cuisine in a long time. I should probably order some soon. Lol...

Have you ever been to Paris? Do you currently live in Paris? What's your advice for me?

I would love to visit Dubai, UAE. Dubai is a very beautiful city and visiting Dubai would be a dream come true for me. I have been watching Dubai Tourism videos and influencers' videos for about a year now and I am so ready to experience this Oasis already. I would love to eat some amazing Middle-eastern foods and tour the deserts. I think the Burj Al Arab is absolutely amazing and would love to experience it with my kids. Ohh the Burj Khalifa is a sight to see for sure. I would love to tour it too.

I would love to stay at the Burj, Al Arab with my kids when we visit Dubai.

Gorgeous view of Dubai.

I believe Dubai is a city that anyone should try to visit at least once. The beautiful architecture and landscape of Dubai are calling for me to visit. I appreciate nature and creativity. Dubai is an epitome of modern creativity and beauty. I am excited to visit Dubai.

I would visit the Coliseum in Rome. 

Rome, Italy is another city I would love to visit with my children. When I think about Rome, I think about the city of God. I think about supernatural activities and God's marvelous acts. I would love to visit this ancient city with my kids, to experience the ancient trails of divine acts and see the amazing architecture and the church. It will be a life-changing experience for sure. I feel a longing to expand more spiritually and going to Rome, will be a blessing. I also look forward to eating some good Italian food.

I believe the more we travel and experience different peoples and cultures, our view of the world expands and we see life not from a limited perspective but from a broad perspective. I love the beauty in diversity. It just shows how amazing our God is.  God is truly amazing and I am still in awe of His Mighty works in my life.

When the opportunities to visit these places present themselves, I will embrace them with all of my heart and I will bring my camera with me. Capturing my experiences in video and pictures would enable me provide information that will inspire others. For this reason, I can't wait. I would love to inspire others to pursue their dreams of traveling. Travelling does expand our worldview and helps us think more inclusively.

Thank you so much for reading my blog today. I am grateful for you. Please come back again.

With gratitude,

Maryam

MY EASY MEAT SAUCE RECIPE FOR PASTA

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope you're all having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day. Thank you for being a part of my world.

I love food! Food is good to me. Do you love food? Is food good to you? I hope so. I love cooking and enjoying my food too. 

Today's post is about food. I love food and I love sharing my food.

My Easy Meat Sauce for Spaghetti is a win anytime in my kitchen. My kids love it and I believe yours will too. There are days I want to spend a whole lotta time in the kitchen and then there are days when I want to spend only a few minutes in the kitchen. This Sauce is very time-saving and delicious.

What You Will Need:

A Jar of Spaghetti Marinara Sauce

2/3 Cup of Chopped Onions

1 tablespoon Chopped Garlic

A pinch of Salt

A sprinkle of Italian Seasoning

1/2 tablespoon Sugar(optional)

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup water

Get a saucepan,  place on stove at medium high heat

Put  your ground beef in the pot and stir for about 5 minutes.

Then add your onions and garlic. Stir pot's content until onion is translucent and ground beef is fully cooked. Then drain the grease out. Some people like to rinse meat to remove all excess grease from meat but I don't because you lose the flavor. In stead, I drain the grease out.

Place pot back on the stove at medium heat and add your seasoning. Stir until all of your seasonings have blended in. 

Next add your marinara sauce and stir until ingredients are perfectly combined. Then add your sure and water. Stir once again and cover pot and let cook for 10 minutes or until the oil is bouncing at the top.

Turnoff stove and let sauce sit for 5 minutes and you are ready to serve on your favorite pasta.

I hope this was helpful. Please enjoy and come back for more recipes.

With gratitude,

Maryam

I WAS FEELING LIKE THE WALLS WERE CLOSING IN ON ME

 

It's 6:00 AM and I'm by the Lake ready to pray and meditate

What's up wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope you all are having an amazing day, today and are not letting anyone or situation steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day! Thank you all for checking out my blog today.

So, the last few days I had felt clouded in my head and around me. The Spirit was speaking to me and I felt like I was being defiant. I had being thinking about my new work schedule and a few other business ventures I have stepped into and the more I thought about them, the more this dark cloud filled my space. Being as spiritually sensitive as I am, I knew that I had to get out in nature and pray and meditate.

Sometimes, when you are confused and indecisive, the outdoors are calling. The best way to clear your mind and dispel the darkness is by getting out in nature and breathing in that sweet and clear fresh air.

So, I woke up at 6:00 AM and drove to the park. I went to the lakeside, surrounded by nature and began to pray to my Heavenly Father. I thanked Him for all that He's done for me and protected me from. I just began to flow in the Spirit because that's my ground and I can't get enough of the Spirit. My very existence depends on the Spirit of God.

I surrendered all that had been bothering me and all of my and desires to God. I told God that I am aware of His presence and guidance in my life and that I want Him to take absolute charge of my very existence and journey here on earth. I talked to God as both my Father and my Savior.

I didn't care that there were people jogging and exercising around me. I was focused on my Father and that's how I always want to be. I don't want to live my life worrying about what people think or expect of me. At this moment, it is obvious to me and all who follow me that God is with me. That's all I really care about. In caring about how my Heavenly Father sees me and wants of me, I naturally am able to do for others what I would love them to do for me.

As I walked around the Lake praying, I could feel the heaviness move away and my mind refocused. It was as if a heavy load had just been lifted off of me and I have been lighter and more joyful since that day.

After my prayer and surrender to God, I went for a run and I sprinted about 10X up the hill and it felt great! When I got done, I sat beside the hill and meditated. The people passing by might have thought I was crazy or weird, but to me, it didn't matter.

After me workout, I felt very refreshed...

Today, I want you to know that God is always near you. Going to an open space where it's just you and God, really does wonders to your mind and soul. Try it and see for yourself.

Coming back home to my sweet babies is always the best!

Thank you for reading my blog today. You're awesome!

With gratitude,

Maryam

BAKED TILAPIA AND FRIED RICE RECIPE

 

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope you are all having a great day and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day! Thank you for checking out my blog today.

I love food! Food is an essential part of my life. I don't know what I would do without food. Food keeps you alive. Food also brings joy to my heart and life lol.

Do you love food or are you one of those who count calories before eating a meal? I am an active woman and for most people, my body may look like I count calories, but I DON'T. I eat what I love and what looks appealing to me. I love food from different cultures and I plan on doing a series of posts featuring different foods on my channel and here on the blog. So, make sure you subscribe to get notified.

Here we go! Today's recipe is pretty easy.

 

Here is my list of ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of Jasmine Rice

A pound of skinless boneless tilapia

2 cups of frozen mixed stirfry veggies

1 teaspoon Weber's Kick'N Chicken Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon Garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoon Chef Merito's Steak & Meat Seasoning

1/2 a teaspoon table grind black peppers

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup of chopped onion

Direction:

Turn your oven on 360 Degree F.

On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, place your washed tilapia fillets 1 inch apart.

Sprinkle your black pepper lightly on your Tilapia fillets.

Next sprinkle your Weber's Kick'N Chicken Seasoning on them. Making sure that they are coated nicely with the seasoning.

Lastly, sprinkle a tablespoon of olive oil on them and place them in the oven(top rack) to cook for 15 minutes.

Jollof Rice:

Get a deep sauce pan or your favorite pot. Place it on your stove top at medium high, to heat for about 2 minutes. 

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. Let heat up about 2 minutes.

Add your chopped onions and stir for about 2 minutes or until onions become translucent.

Add your dry rice to the content and stir. Fry(stirring the pot content the whole time) the rice for about 4 minutes or until parts of the rice is golden brown. That should be about 4 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium not high and not low just right.

Next, add your seasoning. Add your Weber's Kick'N Chicken(1 1/2 teaspoons), 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt and 1 1/2 teaspoon Chef Merito's Steak & Meat Seasoning and stir content. Then add your frozen veggies. Stir pot content together and then add 2 1/2 cups of water. Stir until all content have mixed completely to a beautiful symphony. Lol... Remember to taste and then cover pot and let cook until water content has been absorbed by your rice. This should take about 15-18 minutes.

Your food is ready! Dish on to a plate and let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Note that you can see the step by step application on this video:

I hope you enjoyed this post. Make sure to come back for more and remember to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a thing.

With gratitude,

Maryam

OUR WEEKEND GETAWAY AT THE HYATT REGENCY ATLANTA|| HOTEL REVIEW

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope you're all having  a great day and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful. Thank you all for joining me today.

We booked our stay using Booking.com

My sweet babies and I spent a much needed time at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in the month of July, 2020. This was our first stay at The Hyatt and I must say that I was very impressed with the hotel and the staff. 

Upon arrival, we were met with a few smiling faces who were ready to assist us. It was a pleasant sight and experience.

Valet service was exquisite. Our car was always ready whenever we needed it and the staff was always prompt on our request. CAUTION: Valet parking costs $50 per night. If you don't want to use Valet services, you have the option of parking your car at a public parking lot about a block away from the hotel. If you asked me, I'd recommend Valet services at the hotel, especially, if you have kids. The last thing you want to do is drag your luggage and your kids through the busy streets. Just thinking about it alone is dreadful to me. 

Their gym was fully loaded with great workout machines. I enjoyed using their Peloton Stationary Bike and benches.

The kids had fun working out too

I couldn't imagine dragging my luggage and managing two toddlers, while trying to keep them safe in the busy downtown traffic. Although, I thought that $50 was a little too high for overnight parking, I paid for the services anyway. I was prepared. Always make sure you are prepared for unexpected expenses and tips, when taking a trip 

Upon reaching the lobby, we encountered some friendly staff at the check-in desk who were very happy to assist us however they could. They were very nice ladies.

Watch our Hotel Lobby Tour here:

Due to COVID-19, many of their services are limited and some essential services such as changing your bedding and cleaning your room are on request. The management is limiting close contacts as much as possible to prevent the spread of the virus.

I was a little disappointed that the restaurant was closed because I wanted my kids to experience room service for the first time. The hotel has a little cafe called The Market, located at the lobby. They have breakfast and lunch on-the-go. I didn't order breakfast nor lunch because they didn't have what I wanted on the menu. 

Thank God for Door Dash. I ordered some delicious food from local restaurants using my Door Dash App and I must recommend Door Dash. If you haven't downloaded the App yet, please do. You will find it very useful when you're travelling or even at home.

My kids enjoyed exploring the lobby and the hotel in general. It was truly an enjoyable experience for us.

The view from our room was fun. My son was fascinated with all the tall buildings that he could see through our balcony window. He couldn't stop telling me about how gigantic the buildings were.

The room decor was simple and elegant. I loved the natural tone decor and lamps. They even have Google chrome on their flat screen TVs. That was life saving because my kids wanted to watch their favorite YouTube shows and kept asking me to turn it on. It took us a second to figure it out. After I had tried for over 2 hours trying to get it to work, I gave up. When we asked the staff at the lobby for help, they offered it. A technician was sent to our room within the hour to fix it for us. I thought that was great service too.

My kids had a pee explosion the night before and when I called for new sheets, the hotel responded promptly. Another great service in my book.

Our weekend was enjoyable and fun. The kids and I can't wait to go back to the Hyatt again.

We signed up for World of Hyatt App and the perks available are incredible. You could win free hotel stays and more. What?!! One amazing feature that I really like in the App is; Room key. Your room key can be activated on your App. In the event that you lose your key, your App can be used to access the doors. Isn't that cool?! In addition to that, Google Chrome can be accessed using the App as well. 

The Hyatt Regency Atlanta is situated at a great location and is a great place to consider when taking a trip.

I have the desire to travel more with my kids and by the grace of God, we will travel more. As the world gets back in order and things settle, we will be taking short trips and checking out new places. I will be very happy to share our experience with you all.

Until then...

I hope you have a fantastic day.

Don't be afraid to pursue any dream you have. Live life to the fullest each day.

With gratitude,

Maryam

 

 

THAT FEELING YOU GET WHEN YOU RECEIVE GOOD NEWS AND A PACKAGE|| FEMME LUXE REFINERY

 

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope you are all having an amazing day and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. I am so excited to be here today. I love receiving good news and unexpected ones are awesome!

It sure is a great feeling when your lost package is delivered. I was really happy when my package was delivered, after almost three months after I ordered them. It was a much needed break for me and I am truly happy. I also got good news about my food channel; Youtube.com/maryamsjoyfullifeblog getting accepted into the YouTube monetization program. My heart is full of gratitude for God's goodness.

Femme Luxe Refinery: https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/ have a wide variety of women's clothes that would catch your eye. I am very happy to be a part of their blogger community. Receiving packages from them truly is a blessing and I'm super excited to share my special package with you all today.

Here are the items I received in my package and links to order the same outfits are included. Be sure to click the link to check them out. 

Peach Metallic Front Twist Crop Top:

https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/peach-metallic-front-twist-crop-top-leo

I really like this crop top. It's bright and pops. Just like I like it lol...

Black Cargo Slim Fit Trouser: https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/black-cargo-slim-fit-trouser-sunny

These Cargo Pants are true to size. I love how they fit and also go well with the crop top.

Get my head scarf  and earrings here: www.maryamsjoyfullifeapparel.com

Lilac Ribbed Cropped Skinny Leg Loungewear Set Mila: https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/lilac-ribbed-cropped-skinny-leg-loungewear-set-mila

This color is gorgeous on brown skin. I love it!

The pants didn't fit. I ordered these in M/L. Be sure to order a size bigger than your normal size.

I picked a size a little bit smaller(M/L) than me. I should've ordered this in an L/XL. 

Camel Crop Loungewear Set - Deanna:

 https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/camel-crop-jumper-loungewear-set-deanna

This Camel Crop Top Jumper is my favorite from this package. I love the fit and the head scarf I accessorized it with. Remember you can order this very set by clicking the link at the title.

Thank you all for checking out my blog today. Remember to click the links at the title to view each outfit and place an order. 

With gratitude,

Maryam

I FEEL LIKE QUITTING BUT AM NOT A QUITTER|| OMG IT'S MY PERIOD

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope you are all having an amazing day and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day. Thank you all for joining me.

Have you ever felt like quitting? Like just giving up on everything? I have. In fact, these last few days have been a little hard on me physically and emotionally. It's crazy how someone like me, who is spiritually awakened would feel this way lol...

Well, I do and it's okay to feel like quitting because regardless of how transformed we are spiritually, we are still having a human experience. Feeling this tired and worn out is part of being human but becomes a problem when we listen to our ego and quit.

In my morning live broadcast today, I talked about what it takes to build muscle. It is not fun. You have to go through intense resistance training and sometimes, you'd feel like giving up but the vision of your toned body, in your mind won't allow you quit.

It's the same with life issues. Every time life throws curve balls at us, the goal of the ego is to quit at the slightest sign of difficulty. I have trained myself to push harder in the face of adversity because there's a sweet thing called a breakthrough at the other side of it.

It turns out, the reason I have been feeling off lately is my period. That time of the month just SUCKS! but it's part of being a blessed woman. My body is going through a cleansing and re-balancing and it ain't funny lol.. All I want to do is curl up in bed, pull the covers over my head and lay there. While I could do that, there are two amazing, very opinionated Einsteins who would start interrogating me NONSTOP!😡

Asking me questions like "mama what are you doing?" "Mama get up!" Mama come wipe my butt." It's NONSTOP! I tell you.  Now, when it's my turn to ask for something when they are not in the mood, OMG! They get so upset lol...

Life is truly beautiful and I wouldn't take it any other way. After all,  I chose this life. Thank God for His grace and faithfulness. I rely heavily on God's grace to see me through EVERYTHING! He's never failed me yet!

I feel so much better when I do things that I love; such as making videos and writing blogs.

Thank you all for your support. You are all amazing!

With gratitude,

Maryam