Joyful Marriage, Barrie, ON (2025)

11/07/2025

I recently called an old friend to check in. We were undergraduates together over three decades ago, and even though we live in different countries now, we still make time to chat. During our conversation, she shared a joyful reminder: her only daughter, who was with her, is named after me. She asked if I remembered, and I smiled, “Of course I do.”

After hanging up, I reflected on her choice. Naming her daughter after me made me realize that, back in our university days, I must have carried my name well. I’ve always said — sometimes in jest, sometimes in earnest — that my name holds a Bible verse, Proverbs 10:22. My name, Ibukunoluwa, means “The Blessing of God” in English.

Over the years, I’ve come to wear my name like a badge of honour. It distinguishes me, reminds me of purpose, and acts as a daily prayer I carry with me.

Where I come from, a name is powerful. People pray that your name will be listed among the successful. It’s more than a label — it carries hopes, blessings, and legacy.

In my work as a therapist, I sometimes ask clients to share the meaning behind their names. Watching them speak with pride and joy is a beautiful reminder of how deeply a name is tied to identity and purpose.

Your name is more than identification — it’s an anchor for emotional stability. Affirming your name, understanding its meaning, and embracing it aloud can be a quiet but powerful act of self-love.

So I ask you today: Are you proud of your name? Does it bring you joy and confidence? Do you affirm it with your life? Do you know the meaning of your name? Take a moment to fully embrace your name. Speak it into existence. Let it carry blessing, abundance, and joy wherever you go.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina,
New Beginnings Barrie,
Psychotherapy and Counselling Services.
Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456

10/21/2025

Lately, every Sunday, my niece checks in with me. She usually sends a text, and I respond with a summary of how my week went. But one of our recent conversations got me thinking and inspired me to write this message today.

I had sent her a “before and after” picture of myself from an Owanbe party — the first photo with my simple look before the event, and the second after my gele was tied. I told her that tying a gele at a Nigerian party costs $25, but trust me, it makes you look like a million dollars! Later, as I looked at those pictures again, I found myself reflecting deeply.

Many of us love the “after.” We love the finished product — the breakthrough, the testimony, the answered prayer. We focus so much on that stage that when we pray, we often become impatient. We forget, as someone once said, that between the prayer and the answer, there is a waiting period. And in that waiting period, there is faith.

Think about it: I have to part with $25 just to get my gele tied. Sometimes, I pray that the gele stylist arrives before the event starts. Other times, I hope there won’t be a long queue. Most times, I even pray that the style I love will be available.

That’s exactly how life is. We pray for situations to change — for promotion, exam success, a relationship, or relocation. But then comes the waiting period, and it’s not always easy. Waiting can be hard. It can fill us with anxiety and doubt. There are moments we might even start to wonder, Maybe it’s not going to happen.

But in those moments, remember this: God is strengthening you in the waiting. Hold on to faith and keep your eyes fixed on the promise. Visualize the answered prayer and what it will look like when it comes to pass. And if the wait seems longer than you expected, please don’t give up. Delay does not mean denial.

Look forward to the day you will testify — the day you will tell your story and say, “It took a while, but God did it.”

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina,
New Beginnings Barrie,
Psychotherapy and Counselling Services.
Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456

09/23/2025

This past summer, my husband, our son, and I travelled to Italy for a short vacation. We soaked in the beauty of the Vatican in Rome, enjoyed cozy dinners under the Tuscan skies in Florence, and looked forward to wrapping up our trip in Venice. Just as we were about to begin that final leg, news broke that Air Canada had gone on strike. Since our tickets were with them, we kept following the updates closely. I prayed and told my husband, “I’m trusting God for a last-minute miracle—that somehow the strike will be called off before we fly back.”

So, we chose to enjoy our remaining days in Venice. We even checked in online and paid for our luggage, hopeful that all would work out. But on the morning of our departure, I woke up early to find an email saying our flight had been cancelled and that we needed to make other plans. My heart sank. I woke my husband, and together we scrambled to find new tickets. By God’s grace, we did—but at twice the original cost.

Through all the stress and searching, our teenage son was peacefully asleep, completely unbothered. When we finally woke him and told him it was time to get ready for the airport, his only question was, “What’s the plan?” My husband and I looked at each other, and it hit us—this is the kind of peace God invites us into. Our son wasn’t worried; he simply trusted that his parents would take care of everything and get him back home safely. That’s the childlike trust and faith we are called to have in our Heavenly Father.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t help worrying—not only about getting home, but also about whether Air Canada would ever refund us. With the new tickets came unexpected expenses—an extra hotel night, ground transportation, meals—all piling up. But just a few days after we returned to Canada, Air Canada announced an expanded goodwill policy. To my amazement, they agreed to refund not only the new tickets but also those extra costs.

That moment was such a gentle reminder: I need to lean on God more deeply. I prayed, and He answered—but in His own way, not mine.

I don’t know what unexpected turn you might be facing right now, but I want to encourage you: when you pray and place the outcome in God’s hands, you can rest like a child who knows their Father has everything under control. He never fails. Truly, it will be well.

Faith isn’t about controlling the outcome, but about trusting the One who does.

Written by Ibukun Ogunsina,
New Beginnings Barrie,
Psychotherapy and Counselling Services.
Website: www.newbeginningsbarrie.com
E-mail: inquiry@newbeginningsbarrie.com
Tel: +1 705 241 8456

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Barrie, ON

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http://www.joyfulmarriage.org/

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