HOLD STILL…

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Have you ever had to wait?
Wait in line in a bank?
Wait a while to gain admission?
Wait for things to get better???

Want to know something about waiting?
There are lessons to be learnt.
I’ve heard it said
That waiting is to build your muscles.

The lessons are numerous;
Could be for you to learn patience
Could be for you to better appreciate what you are waiting for
Could be for you to appreciate what you already have; to count your blessings
Could be for you to grow
Could be for you to draw nearer to God
Could be for you to understand time…. or timing
Could be, just for you to stand still and reflect
Stand still and know that He is God,
Could be for you to make mistakes, and then learn from them.
Waiting is for you to have ample time,
Time enough to stumble,
Time enough to find out what made you stumble
Time enough to remove the cause of your stumble
Time enough to stand up and get back on track
Time enough to learn…

Get this,
You still get what you’re waiting for.
God is never early but He’s never late either,
God’s timing is just right.
Hold still enough to learn!

O. Hannah
Writers’ Unit, CFG

A change of identity – a poem by Tope Akinnibosun

Posted in christian living, Poem by

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Out of void, in all he was in charge
In his word, his will and spirit

Then he thought of a creation
A creation just like him, existing from him
For the creation he made a great plan
Creating stars and moon and sun as light to see
Green plants and animals for food
Land and sea for a place to dwell on
Everything that was created was made for the creation
A pre-type of the creation he also made
The pre-type to exist in the perfect creation
Then I was born of the pre-type
That became the identity I had to live by
Having the imperfect, sinful, pretype nature
I ruled from my mind, dwelt on logic
Couldn’t see beyond my eyes
Everything I had was limited
All that was created for the creation worked against me
From global warming to acid rain
Food poisoning and others causing diseases
Earthquakes and volcanoes breeding death
I just wandered off and couldn’t make head way
All I wanted was mine, self, I, just me
Even when I decided to help, it’s me first
Always looking beneath for what I had to gain
Then the word came my way
Speaking from people he was living in
As I heard the word, it fell on deaf ears
Then all over the place it was, and I listened
Next faith was made available, I believed
Then I received the word into my life
It was an animation, a total translation
The word was that plan – the creation
He changed my identity straight up
And now I am the creation
The original plan God wanted
The image with his identity
I now carry the fullness of the word
I share it out to others
I now live my true identity
… Kapopte

THOUGHTS…

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Sometimes, I sit and wonder,
What this life has to offer.
It’s disheartening at times…

We sit here with our bodies in whole,
Knowing not what other people go through.
We complain day and night,
Like we have the right to.

The saying goes,
“We know not what we have until it’s lost”.
This would only be understood,
By a cripple who once walked,
By the blind who once saw,
By the dumb who once talked,
But never by the dead, because it’s all gone.

Ingrates!!!That’s what we are.
When would we learn?
And be grateful for what we have?

It’s just a thin line between life and death,
Once seen today,
May be gone tomorrow.
Once heard today,
May be forgotten in sorrow.

My heart bleeds,
Bleeds for the faint hearted.
It wages war against those,
Who take things for granted.

Dear Lord, Help us to understand,
The gravity of the things we do.
For this life has nothing to offer,
Except we live by You.

. . .Chika Nwankwo

This poem was first published in LIGHTHOUSE Magazine 2012…

KNOWLEDGE IS EVERYTHING

Posted in General, Motivational by

What you don’t know won’t kill you – what a lie! At this age and time, you will agree with me that we die daily more from things we are totally unaware of than from the many vices so to say that we can easily identify…. Talk of little foxes that spoil the vine eh?
The truth is each and every day, something we do not know ‘kills’ us in so many ways we do not know. The mistake often times is that we concentrate on and are more bothered by the losses we can perceive while we forget to pay attention to those ‘insensible’ losses… the potential gains we could have accrued if and only if we had known a little bit more, better. The price we pay to our ignorance every single day is practically inestimable, and like the age-long maxim, ‘if education is expensive, they say try ignorance’… good enough, or unfortunately so, you may say, a majority of us on a daily basis patronize ignorance on a large scale. Ask yourself a simple question; how much do I really know? Do I have an adequate and appropriate understanding of whatever it is I am engaged in? More often than not, the answer would be a NO! Except of course you are that recalcitrant, egotistic, ignorant peacock that would never agree he knows but nothing… Oops! Hope that doesn’t describe you tho!
There is this popular story of a guy that was contracted to help fix a faulty machine, so he billed his contractors $100 and they were very willing to pay. However, to their utmost surprise, all he did was hit the faulty machine with a swing of a hammer, and bingo, machine started working perfectly fine. As such, they had to ask him why he would bill such a ridiculous amount for a job as menial as the swing of a hammer. Good question you would say, and it got an interesting and quite inspiring response: ‘$99 for knowing what to do, and $1 for doing it’ he said. That is to say, $99 for knowing that all he had to do to get the machine working was to hit it with a hammer in the appropriate place, and $1 for swinging the hammer. I would say that was fair enough… talk about KNOWLEDGE! Of course, the owners of the faulty machine do know how to swing a hammer, but what they did not know is that all they had to do was to swing the hammer… and save a hundred dollars!!! So you see, what you don’t know is killing you day after day, whether you know it or not!
Reminds me of one of the many times I have had to pay my fair share for being so ignorant. So it happened that on this fateful day, or perhaps sometime during the week, my printer started acting up – as usual. Being very familiar with this particular brand and model of printer, I safely assumed I got it covered and know exactly what was wrong. Of course, the printer has three indicator lights and I perfectly understand the significance of each one when it blinks… or so I thought. So it happened that the middle indicator light came on, and that should suggest a problem with the ink… therefore, I refilled the black ink – since it appeared emptier and older than the colored ink cartridge. As this did not solve my problem, I decided to buy a new black cartridge altogether… But alas, the indictor wouldn’t stop blinking so I had to take it to a repairer who complicated everything by toiling something else inside the printer… I eventually had to travel across town to a more trusted repairer. At the end of the day, the problem with my printer was not a shortage of ink in my black cartridge as supposed, but rather a bad, though new and filled color cartridge… if only I had known! All I needed was another color cartridge that was sensitive – howbeit new or old, filled or empty. I need not remind you that all these came at its own cost – in cash! All I thought I knew about the printer was questioned and changed in all but one week. Little did I know that the only indication of an empty cartridge is a fading print, and not the indicator light as I supposed… well, that’s all history now as it’s been bliss working with the printer from that time onward…
Knowledge is power… right, but much more, knowledge brings bliss. In fact, knowledge is everything.
Consider the stock market for example, the credit crunch, bull market, bear market, et cetera… if only investors had known better…
In health care for instance it is common place to hear the popular mantra “prevention is better than cure”. However, it will shock you to discover how much is spent on curative and rehabilitative medicine every year, treating and managing diseases and conditions that could ordinarily be prevented by such simple measures as change of lifestyle, diet modifications, exercise and the likes… Oh! How much we pay for our ignorance!
As I draw the curtains, I charge you in the words of Steve Jobs, stay foolish and stay hungry for knowledge – make yourself a better person. What you do not know is actually killing you each and every day; your ignorance is costing you some dollars, take it or leave it. Be it in how to manage finances, personal hygiene, health, anything at all, never hesitate to ask if and when you need to. Never be too proud to ask; ask the necessary questions and get optimal results out of life.
Remember, wisdom is the principal thing… and in all thy gettings, get understanding. Go for knowledge today, for knowledge is indeed everything…

Guest post: Lessons from around us… A piece by Isima Sobande

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There are two electric irons in my house. One is old and has lost its battle to remain relevant in the world of clothing. You may be tempted to think I’ll b focusing on this iron, the many storms it may have witnessed; and how, after many falls, was still found useful. No, I am not. Instead, I’ll b talking about the relatively new, inexperienced iron. Its design is what draws me, beckons me to come and learn a few truths about my life as a Christian.
Looking at this iron, you may say, “well, this is an iron, nothing special about it”. But plug it into the socket and switch it on and let your lesson begin.
Immediately it is turned on, it gives off a light blue light and asks you to select the kind of fabric you want to iron. The colour then changes to suit the kind of fabric that is being ironed. The light is quite bright, and there is even a written notice of the kind of material the colour corresponds to. This has struck a chord with me, as it reminds me a lot about the different seasons we go through as Christians. Some of the colours look fun, others look boring, and one looks dangerous. But they all are the standard indicators and this can’t change. For example, the light blue colour denotes cotton, so this means to iron cotton, the colour indicator has to be light blue. So it is with us. If we are in a season where we need to learn patience, we cannot expect instant gratification for all the requests we tender to God. There is great work being done in our lives. God is ironing us; He wants to show us off to the world, and even if sometimes there is no clear sign of what season we are in in our lives, as long as we’re in God’s hands, we should always remember that we are more than just ok.
Also, though there are indicators to guide us in the best conditions to iron particular fabrics, this really doesn’t mean that we have to follow the rules. We can choose to use the polyester setting to iron linen. This doesn’t mean the linen won’t be ironed, but it may mean the linen won’t be well ironed, or the process would be more stressful. There is a reason there is guidance available to us from God. It is because He wants to guide us into making the best choices. In mcq exams where we are told to pick the best answer, this means there is more than one right answer, but then only one best answer. For best results in ironing linen, iron using red, which is linen’s indicator. For best results in our lives, we need to obey all that God says, not just the general idea of what He means, but in all its entirety.

busy doing nothings

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okay.. here i am at past 3am very busy… at least that is what i think… but then, whatever it is that has kept me this late really would not be one to classify as important… before i write too much, i actually have nothing to write about… and that is worrisome in itself… i am wondering when this writers’ block will end? gosh… this is not a diary; and i guess you just caught me musing at naughts.. well, pardon my idiosyncrasy. promise to give you something better soonest. by the way, i wonder how come you are still awake at this time though… hmmmm

Don’t tell me what I can’t do…

Don’t tell me what I can’t do…
That catching phrase reminds me of John Locke… okay, not the economist but an actor in the series LOST… If you followed the series then am sure u are familiar with the bald headed guy that was miraculous set free from his wheel chair… and from thence believed outrightly that nothing was impossible! So when faced with diverse daunting tasks in their haunted forest, he kept reiterating to anyone that cared enough to listen: don’t tell me what I can’t do… And credit to him, he did quite some amazing things….. But let’s not forget, it was just a movie and he was acting to script…lol… That’s the problem I have with picking morales from movies anyways, but no doubt movies have in so many ways inspired me to write. Yea.. That’s true!!!

Back to my discourse… ‘don’t tell me what I can’t do’… Having analyzed the character of mr. John Locke for quite a while, I realized he actually typifies the human attitude, whether we think so or not. And more so, I began to understand how it was relevant to my grace walk… The human mind is such that doesn’t like subvention or limitation. We do not like to be set within a particular boundary.. And it even worse when it’s pointed out to us that this is your limit. And you will agree with me. Remember when you were much younger and pushing tires around the street with your contemporaries?lol I guess you do… The easiest way, back then, to make someone do something is just to tell them they can’t, and you see them going even against their very own desire just to prove you wrong… And that’s just human for you – we don’t like to see ourselves as being limited to something…
Two statements that will eternally amuse me are as follows:
1. Laws are made to be broken… (you mean seriously???)
2. Where there is no law, there is no sin… Hmmm

Considering these two statements side by side just floods some light on my understanding of Apostle Paul’s teaching on grace and the incapacitation of the law… How that the law made sin more sinful…breeding in us a consciousness of sin. Not just a consciousness but a bondage; an addiction, a desire to do every ‘thou shall not…’
Really, it reminds me of Eden. It’s interesting to note that we would hardly notice something until the realization that it’s wrong to do it, and then we go all out to do it.
Simply put, the law was not given to stop man from sinning but rather to show man’s helplessness in this sin matter!
Consider the young rich ruler: he came to Jesus and almost left justifying himself, thinking he had fulfilled all the law from his youth. But Jesus wasn’t going to allow him leave in such deceptive state, so he told him to sell all he had and give to the poor… At that very instant, the young ruler realized his helplessness… Consider Cornelius: his good deeds were not just enough, God in His utmost mercy had to send Peter to the house of Cornelius and they experienced God’s saving grace…
In closing, I dare to let you know that the Christian life is not hard to live; rather it’s IMPOSSIBLE to live… That’s the truth, no one can live the Christian life because it’s the life of Christ. So we would like apostle Paul acknowledge that it’s Christ that lives in us…both to will and to do of His good purpose…
It’s not a matter of what you can’t do, dear.
You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you…

Garlicks of Egypt

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Am I surprised? That what… you ask? Well, that you are surprised! Anyways, I am not about to write another article on the umpteenth wonder of the world – I think we have many of that already; and we all know that the pyramids are actually the only wonder associated with Egypt. However, I am tempted to believe garlics were at some point in history more popular than the pyramids – or at least, that’s the opinion I can gather from a particular story in the bible; and if you were not one those folks that were so far away from Sunday school in their younger years, then I guess you will be familiar with the story as well. But before I tell this story, I would like to share a thought with you, and a question to accompany my thought…
Just thinking: Oh! The good old days!
Now a Question: What’s good about the old days?
Someone once said life is understood by looking backwards; reliving the so called good old days, but nonetheless must be lived by looking forward – surging into the ever daunting unknown! It is however quite unfortunate that many of us attempt the impossible, and foolishly so, by trying to live our lives based on the yesterday. In fact, some of us practically live in the past! Oops!
Needless to say, I must agree with you that our experiences do form an integral part of our lives, but then we must learn to let go of the past – either sweet or sour, and embrace what the future holds for us. Yesterday is gone and there is absolutely nothing you can do about the victories or failures that came with it; today is here and left for you to either manage or mismanage; and tomorrow is ours to grasp – a barrage of opportunities to explore and exploit… and did the Bible not say ‘the just shall live by their faith’?… and that hope that is seen is not hope at all? So there leaves no excuse for living in the past and counting on the success of yesteryears…
Sometime in history, the Israelites were on a journey to the Promised Land – a land flowing with milk and honey. Wow! Wouldn’t the mere thought of that just blow any mind? So it was a journey that started with the great exodus from every form of oppression that characterized their last days in the land of Egypt, and as such, was such a feat of deliverance from Pharaoh and co… but then, it was a journey so just like any other journey in life and like life itself – there is always a THEN, a HERE and a THERE…
Often times we find ourselves coming from THEN – the glorious or inglorious past, and on our way to THERE – the ever promising future full of all possibilities; but then we are stuck HERE, the present NOW – that critical moment.
And so it was with the Israelites, having enjoyed the great deliverance from Egypt and very hopeful of arriving at a land flowing with milk and honey, clad with giant grapes and all sorts; they got trapped in the present – a wilderness – home to nothing but nothingness at its peak… and the story changed! You could imagine I heard one of them declare ‘Oh, the good old days!!!’ Seriously? I couldn’t help but shudder! I mean… what’s that? They even went on to describe how living in Egypt was such a delight – how they enjoyed such things as melons, cucumbers, onions and garlicks! Now just imagine the list. Then I thought to myself; was it not the same Egypt where the Israelites had no straw to bake their bricks? Where the ten plagues were wrought, and the Israelites miraculously spared? Ingrates! I shouted. These guys are so myopic… but then I realized I am not that much better from my forbears.
Just as they did, many of us also forget God’s graciousness and all we do is just complain in the face of the slightest challenges. Did the Bible not rightly say that God is not a man that He should lie? Has He promised a thing and not see it to completion? So stay off reliving the good old days and stop dreaming about the garlicks you tasted in Egypt. Rather, be hopeful and look forward to a land flowing with milk and honey indeed. Brace up for the future ahead of you.
God bless.

TEMPTED…

Posted in Choices by

Boy - girl things...

“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go to hell.” Matthew 5: 30

“It’s over between us! And I mean it this time.”
It was with such assertion they broke up, so much so that they wished they could obliterate every single memory they had of each other – at least, that was how she felt. Indeed, she was determined tio take her stand.
But…..who says old flames ever die?!
Encouraged, she was. Now she stands unattached…emotionally… freed, she thinks and poised to be more focused on life. There is so much to accomplish… oh! How I have been blinded, she thought – well, dint they say love is blind?
A few months down the line and everything seems picture perfect. Now she understands she is in charge and God is in control – hence no cause for alarm. As such, she is determined not to settle for less: no more crumbs!!
But then, you know that feeling we sometime have… that eerie chilly feeling that accompanies the moments just before you surrender to the forces of sleep… that feeling of loneliness, a feeling of ‘something’ being absent.
And so it was this particular night… something unusual happened, something feels absent… “I MISS him”… then thoughts went astray; remembering the good old days, those moments they shared…the silence…the company… even the absence – but this was a different absence entirely. How I wish…. Then nature calls… drifts off… and then cock crows! No. It’s her phone ringing. Half awake, the sound is strange… “Whose phone is it?” ….no it’s not… it’s a custom ringtone… one she has not heard in a while… oops! Talk of the devil! A case of “the witch crying at night and the baby died in the morning”, you would say!
‘COINCIDENCE’ she screamed, under her breath as her brain battled her heart…. OR could this be a sign? Ah! Sign? “I’m drifting”. Amidst confused thoughts, she picks the call….but after the 3rd ring. “Hello”… “Hi”… “…just called to say ‘hi’, etc. Jeez! No strings attached.
Did I hear someone mention “old flames”? Yeah right! They never die…
Day break! Now she missed him even more. “…what’s happening to me?” tempted to pick up the phone and just give him a call. “just to return the courtesy, you know!” it turns out she never got to wipe out those memories as she so wished back then – but who does, anyway?
Days later he calls again, and this time he is in town and would like to just check on her… the mere thought of seeing him again had induced in her, transient tachycardia… “…it’s just a visit” she mused… ‘we could even go see a movie or something’ … she thought she heard… Snaps back! …But then she knows what she is up against… she could hear that voice within her head whispering loudly: TEMPTATION!!! “Am not the girl you used to know…” all in a split second, her fingers hit the ‘red’ button… Oops! ‘Call ended’… having done all she must STAND, and that she just did!!!

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it” 1 Cor. 10: 13