DEFYING THE ODDS

Brought to you by: Defying Mental Illness—Put a full stop

Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 1

ABUSE

SICKNESS

DEFYING...

POVERTY

FAILURE

BULLYING

DEATH

UNEMPLOYMENT

DEBT

DEFYING THE ODDS NEWSLETTER Inside this issue

Defying the Odds ........................ 3

Interview on abuse ..................... 3

Interview on abuse cont’d .......... 4

Bullying ....................................... 5

Defying Mental Illness Supplement …………………………………………….6-8

Events……………………………………….8

Special points of interest

Defying the Odds - what it takes

Interview with Anne on overcoming abuse

From The Editor Welcome to the launch of our brand new and exciting edition of DEFYING THE ODDS

newsletter (plus the DEFYING MENTAL ILLNESS supplement). I am so excited about this

newsletter. It is bold, it is inspirational and motivating…and the pages are full of hope.

We have a range of outstanding contributors with articles on various pressing or even

controversial issues in life. Issues that everyday people face in life; issues people are

challenged with but may be shy to talk about or may have issues dealing with. This

newsletter is informative, uplifting and loaded. There are testimonies and stories from

those who defied the odds that will encourage you not to give up. Keep pressing on!

The Defying Mental Illness supplement has dared to venture where others have not and

most often will not. We talk openly and boldly about mental health issues…and yes we

talk about defying it too!

This launch edition we have an expose on bullying. Bullying affects so many and can have

serious psychological effects too. We will look at what bullying is all about and what

steps one can take. We also have an amazing interview with an inspiring lady , Anne,

who shares with us how she overcame years of all manner of abuse conceivable –

physical, domestic and so on. She talks on the power of forgiveness and how it brought

healing and release from many years of anger, bitterness and hurt. A must read article!

In our supplement DEFYING MENTAL ILLNESS, we will hear inspiring words from the

author of MEDITATIONS AND CONFESSIONS series . He gives an expose on the power of

confessions that will be a tremendous blessing to you in your journey with overcoming

the dreadfulness of mental illness and other storms of life. I also share on the stigma

associated with mental illness in this section.

I will leave you with this; if you were given 1 in a million chance of winning, why not

make up your mind to be the 1? That is the mindset of the one who defies the odds!

Welcome on board!

Zoe A. Onah—Editor

New Website Coming Soon….

www.defyingmentalillness.com

Letter to the Editor

Email your questions and

comments to :

defyingtheodds@live.co.uk

Dictionary.com defines DEFY as:

1. to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly: to defy parental authority.

2. to offer effective resistance to: a fort that defies attack.

3. to challenge (a person) to do something deemed impossible: They defied him to dive

off the bridge.

4. to challenge to a combat or contest.

One word that is consistent above is the word, ‘challenge’. That tells us something. A

challenge usually connotes a fight or a test.

To defy the odds is to do something, resist or withstand that which seemed unlikely

or impossible. There is a ‘dare’ involved.

Definition 2 says effective resistance. I like the word ‘effective’. That means that there

must be success at the end.

To defy the odds, here are 3 things to consider:

1. Vision. A manufacturer must first see his product before he can make it. You

possess what you see. BEFORE Joshua conquered Jericho, God said to him in Joshua 6:2

“SEE, I have given you Jericho”.

2. Words. Words come from our thoughts. Thoughts are our imaginations, our

visions, our meditations, what we have been brooding over. Hearing the negative

statistics day in and day out will affect you whether you think so or not. Luke 6:45 says

out of the abundance of your heart, the mouth speaks. (……..Continued on Page 4)

“To defy the odds is to do something, resist or withstand that which seemed unlikely or impossible. There is a ‘dare’ involved”.

Matters Arising: Interview with Anne on her story of abuse

Defying The Odds—what it takes by Zoe A. Onah

DTO: Anne, you are one incredible and inspirational lady. You

have an amazing story. It however all started having suffered

many years of abuse. Tell us a little about your story.

Anne: Thank you for this opportunity. I also thank The Almighty

God who sustained me all along during my period of

hopelessness. Oh my story. Praise God! It is about what I went

through my life as a teenager and as a wife. I lived years of abuse

and I thought there was no way out for me. I cried out in pain,

hurt, rejection and hate. I did not enjoy my teen years and even

adulthood, carrying a broken heart. I lost my confidence and my

self esteem. I lived in fear. My heart was sore. I was accused also

of stealing my husband’s money and I became deathly ill as the

result of the accusation and the humiliation it brought. I refused to forgive those who

hurt me. I continued my life as a Muslim until I met the Lord through another

experience. Even though I met the Lord, I did not learn to know Him. Things (Continued

3

Defying the Odds.

One man’s struggle and victory

over mental illness and his wife

whose trust in God never failed

Unforgiveness is a prison especially

to those who have been abused

They defied the odds

on page 3)changed for the best but I was still holding grudges and nothing was moving right in my life. I did not know that I closed

doors of opportunities through unforgiveness. One day, my Pastor was preaching about unforgiveness and what it does in our lives. I

received revelation that day. I was delivered through the power of the Holy Spirit. I was free. My life changed that day. This is my

story.

DTO: How did you find it possible to forgive your abusers?

Anne: I could not have forgiven them if I did not hear about the effect of unforgiveness in my life. I thought it was right to keep on

living a life of not forgiving those who hurt you. The forgiveness came after I have heard about the joy we have when we forgive those

who hurt us. I was able to forgive my abusers when I became free in my heart. It was easy by the Word of God. I could not have

forgiven them if I did not act upon the Word.

DTO: That is incredible. And your story continues. Many years later you had a divine encounter and that also marked another

turning point in your life. Out of that experience came the vision of THE POWER OF THE PROMISE, a book you are currently

writing. What is the power of the promise?

Anne: I had a dream and the Lord gave me a title of the book I had been writing few years prior. The title was THE POWER OF THE

PROMISE….Actually, I have a passion writing. Throughout the time of my suffering I had a notebook where I poured my words. The

notebook was a haven for me. I have never stopped writing. The Power of the Promise is classic story of my life, talking about my

suffering and how the Lord reminded me of my promises made when I cried to him. As a Muslim lady then, the Lord followed

me closely even then. He loved me when I did not even know Him. His promises to be with me never failed. That is the power of the

promise.

DTO: Today, you are reaching out to other abused ladies and to Muslim ladies. Your mess has become a message. Incredible. What

can you say to someone in a similar situation to you? A final word.

Anne: There are a lot of things to learn in your walk with the Lord. It will uplift your spirit to understand His will in your life. God can

mend our broken heart by his Word and make us whole and happy again. It doesn't matter who you are, God is faithful. We must reign

in life. For someone living the same situation, I will tell them to believe that the only key to be free is by forgiving those who hurt you.

You cannot have tests in life without testimonies. Let go! Do not keep quiet and suffer alone. I was wrong for being quiet until the

Word came to break the vase of bondage. You are not alone. Voice it out . You must forgive. I forgave my abusers including my ex

husband. You can be free if you learn how to forgive those who hurt you the most. But you don't keep silent about it. Talk to

someone who can help. You can have your life back. It is possible. I am happy today and doing great things. Speak, forgive and be

free, free!

4

Matters Arising ...Continued from Page 3

Thomas Edison, the last of 7 children, came from a poor home.

His teacher even called him ‘addled’ . Addled means rotten,

unable to think. He also had hearing difficulties which grew

worse as he got older. Even with these challenges, Edison was

not deterred in life. Edison defied the odds and became one

of the greatest inventors in History...and was also a business-

man! He has over 1000 patents to his name. He invented

the first incandescent light that would last and was prac-

tical. After several failed attempts, he said, I have not

failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work! A

lesson in never giving up!

“When you have

exhausted all possibilities, remember

this… you haven’t!”

Thomas Edison

About Samson Adeyemi

Samson is a 23 year old who has

inspired thousands of other

young people and parents across

the globe. He is a renowned

motivational speaker and

mentor. His unique approach in

using illustrations and helping

people make rapid changes and

progress has transformed a lot of

lives.

Samson has been a leader of

young people for over 7 years.

Some of his accomplishments

include:

Youth MP for Lewisham

Borough in the UK Youth

Parliament for 2 years.

Has spoken at the House of

Lords and at the House of

Commons.

Expert on Youth related

issues on Television

including the BBC.

Former Youth Advisor for

London Youth.

Judge on National Crimebeat

Awards

Project Manager of several

Youth motivational events in

London

Bullying by Samson Adeyemi

Bullying is defined according to

www.stopbullying.gov as an “unwanted,

aggressive behaviour amongst people that

involves a real or perceived power

imbalance. The behaviour is repeated, or

has the potential to be repeated, over

time.”

Different things result in bullying. There

are 3 main types of bullying. They include:

physical bullying, mental bullying and

emotional bullying.

Let’s focus on some of the solutions:

Stopping it on the spot: When a bully is

stopped whilst in the act, it is more

effective. This sends a strong message

to both the bully and those watching

that such act is totally inappropriate.

Supporting those involved: Whether it’s

the victim, the bully or the observers.

Some bullies need help themselves.

For whatever reason they bully

others, they need to receive guidance

and pointed in the right direction to

help them stop such act.

Do not be a bystander: Watching bullying

and doing nothing about it

encourages the bully to carry on as

he/she believes they now have an

audience that see it but can do

nothing about what they see.

I prefer preventive measures than

curative ones. As they say, it’s better

to be safe than sorry.

Some of the preventive measures

include:

Setting up focus groups to look into

anti-bullying policies in our

schools and ensuring that these

policies are strong enough and

strictly adhered to.

Support networks formed by

previous victims of bullying. They

can air their thoughts on how

those experiencing bullying now

can come out of it.

Using social media to campaign

against bullying.

Using creative art such as drama,

dance, spoken word,

motivational speaking etc. to

tackle bullying. Young people

can form creative art groups, act

out scenarios and propose

solutions through their acts.

Through entertainment, they still

send out a strong message.

Observers of bullying should not be

bothered about being called a

‘snitch’: Report bullying when

you see one. If you don’t report

it soon enough, chances are that

it may affect someone dear to

you.

5

DEFYING THE ODDS...CONT’D (from page 3)

You need to hear words that will propel you. You need to hear the good news. The

testimonies. Revelation 12:11 says we overcome by testimonies. The testimonies we

hear, the words we speak make a difference.

3. Tenacity. You cannot afford to give up. The Bible admonishes us not to give

up. Jesus taught His disciples in Luke 18:1 to pray and not give up. Tenacity sees the

end of the journey irrespective of the pot holes and dangers. That is why your vision

is so important. God gave Abraham a picture, the stars as representation of the kids

he would have. Abraham maintained this vision throughout the years even when it

seemed it would never happen.

In our next issue, we will look at the mindset of an overcomer over a survivor in

winning the challenges of life, in defying the odds.

Till then, remember you are that 1 in a million!

DEFYING MENTAL

ILLNESS

SUPPLEMENT

In this Supplement:

Power of Confessions

Stigma of mental illness

About Defying Mental Illness

As you say (confess) what God says concerning you, your life will go in the direction of your words.

Stigma is real when it comes to mental

illness. It is not something you can

sweep under the proverbial carpet

unnoticed and hope that it will just go

away. Somewhere along the way,

stigma will raise it’s ugly head.

Dictionary.com defines stigma as

1. a mark of disgrace or infamy; a

stain or reproach, as on one's

reputation.

2. a distinguishing mark of social

disgrace

In case you were wondering what infamy

also meant, here goes – ‘extremely bad

reputation (source Dictionary.com)’

The very definitions are so painful and

as I write this article, I am writing with

much anguish. Stain? EXTREMELY bad

reputation?

Hello, someone. Can someone feel it

like I do? No, I have never gone through

the anguish of mental illness, but even

before I became the carer to my

husband who was diagnosed with this

‘mark of disgrace’ disease, how could an

illness conjure such reactions?

Like it or not, stigma is real. Stigma

hurts. Stigma is painful. The one way of

changing the status quo of the stigma of

mental illness/disorder or any other

illness that brings stigma is by creating

awareness.

I really do not believe that many seek to

deliberately stigmatise those challenged

with mental illness. Sometimes we just

are not aware that our reactions, our

words actually do point to that. As we

examine this hot topic again next issue,

let us remember that those who suffer,

those who are challenged with mental

illness did not choose to be so. Let us

remember more importantly, that they

are people too.

God bless you and thanks so much for

even reading this column. I appreciate

that truly. 7

DEFYING MENTAL ILLNESS SUPPLEMENT

The Stigma of Mental Illness by Zoe A. Onah

Power of Confessions by E. Onah

Meditations and Confessions for

People facing Fear, Anxiety and

Worry

When a Christian talks about making confessions, they are talking about saying

the same things that God says about them. A confession is an acknowledgement

or declaration. It is speaking what God says about you not just thinking it.

So, if for example, the Bible says you have the mind of Christ, your confession is

that you indeed have the mind of Christ, even if the medical report says you have

been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. To the ordinary mind, this may not make

sense but we have to look at ourselves the same way God sees us. He sees us as

perfect because the Blood of Jesus made us perfect and our confessions must

consent to that else we remain in our predicament for it affects our faith in the

Word of God. There is power in the words we speak. See Proverbs 18:21.

(...Continued on page 6)

Power of Confessions Cont’d (from page 7) Defying Mental Illness put a full stop

Our Vision

To put a full stop to the needless

suffering, discrimination and

stigma of those challenged with

mental illness, their caregivers and

their loved ones who are affected.

Our Mission

To support those challenged with

mental illness and their caregivers

in defying mental illness. To

combat discrimination and stigma.

To lead, educate and create

awareness of mental issues.

Our Purpose

To assert our rights as believers to

a sound mind and our rights to a

divine life.

EVENTS

Zoe speaks at the Xtraordinary Lady

Hosted by Lift Effects on

Saturday 12th July 2014 11 am

Croydon Conference Centre, Surrey, UK

Tickets on www.eventbrite.com

Email: lifteffects@hotmail.com

Defying Mental Illness - put a full stop

www.defyingmentalillness.com

www.pinterest.com/defyingo

www.twitter.com/defyingoddsbook

www.yookos.com/people/defyingoddsbook

Facebook group: Defying The Odds

Email@ defyingtheodds@live.co.uk

Who we are

DEFYING MENTAL ILLNESS is primarily a

faith based Christian organisation. We

believe literally in defying mental illness,

no matter how long one has been

challenged with the disease.

DEFYING MENTAL ILLNESS is non

discriminatory and is open to everyone

regardless of age, sex, status, faith or

beliefs.

The Word of God has final authority in everything. We give authority by what we

say and who we listen to. Accepting what the Word of God says is accepting God's

authority. Listening to the Word of God is accepting this authority. You must apply

authority for it’s effects to be felt.

Confessing the Word of God and meditating upon it is applying the authority of the

Word of God. Matthew 12:37 says The words you say will either acquit you or

condemn you. This shows us the power of our words.

You will have what you say. Start saying the right things today; look at

yourself through God’s mirror, i.e. His word, instead of the natural mirror

which shows your flaws. You were made in His image therefore you are no

mistake or accident. As you say (confess) what God says concerning you,

your life will go in the direction of your words.

Remember, if you don’t like what you have, change what you are saying!

Have you got an inspiring story

to tell?

Email your story (no more than

350 words) to:

defyingtheodds@live.co.uk

All articles must be original and

may appear in this newsletter or

our website. Please enquire for

more details and our guidelines at

above email. We reserve the right

to refuse to publish any article.