This weekend crawled up on me with a range of ideas, a backlog of indecisions and one two many reasons not to be anxious. Words have been uttered with actions to validate them; deeds have gone on an unannounced journey, left astray by thoughts, but that’s not even the major hitch. The problem is the verdict is split between two onlookers – the one who sees fault in everything you do and the one who feels you shouldn’t even be attempting to do stuff on your own. Mannerisms of the former are quite clear – they make you feel inadequate and they are so good at condemning everything you do and fail to do. That actually leaves out NO good impression. The latter? Oh, the latter is everything the former is not. But do they actually exist?
A lot of our deeds are blamed on influences from the company we keep, the neighbourhood we grew up, and sometimes our inability to decipher good from evil, by merely taking a gaze. The truth is, most of the people who judge you do so on the basis of what they heard about you rather than what they know about you. One bad impression can sum up your entire life, and create a lifelong bitter testimony. But don’t be fooled. The one who doesn’t criticize you may have more against you than the one who frequently calls you out. I know the next question is “who then is the good guy? The one who sees and talks, or the one who sees and keeps shut?” There lies the complication. I leave you to your discretion.
The answers to every question cannot be answered by any. Some people tend to have answers to everything, even though half the time they are clueless. Sometimes it takes almost a lifetime to understand the seemingly simple things…or to come to terms with their reality.
I have come to understand that the answers to some of these questions lie in the acceptance of the situation, and the peace you find within. It doesn’t necessarily mean physically settling for the worst because you feel you don’t have what it takes to achieve the best. Besides, who really knows what’s best for you?
Aight, here’s me being logical. If we knew why everything happened, this knowledge will take away the fun of being human. Sincerely, many, if not all of us, like to be adventurous. As in, who wouldn’t want to learn something new, every other day? New ways on how to answer questions at interviews, how to fix our favourite delicacies, how to dress well, how to study effectively, how to fussily manage our time and resources… the list continues.
I mean, even those who are ridiculously wealthy still wake up everyday thinking of other ways to invest their time and money. Think of ‘knowing everything’ as not having room for ‘learning anything’; think of ‘knowing everything’ as a child who is born with speech and an accent from day one. Okay, that last illustration sounds scary already, cos we’re not used to seeing stuff like that, right? But I’m sure you get my drift. Growth, curiosity and the quest for knowledge are a few of the vital elements that make being human sensational.
People will say stuff about you that ain’t right, but keep moving; They will try to discourage you or devalue your exploits, but keep moving; You may have soaked up all these negativity, but you still have an opportunity to sanitize your mind, so the earlier you start, the better.
Don’t plan to fail, and don’t be scared to fail either. The former just paints you in all colours of folly, while the latter bares the courage in you to win… or at least give it a shot.
Don’t create limitations for yourself and disguise them as goals. If you can conceive it, then it is definitely attainable. The problem is you may end up chasing after what you don’t necessarily need (It's complicated. I know). Nothing brings much pleasure to naysayers than seeing you perish in ignorance.
Maybe the answers to certain questions have been kept away from us intentionally. It is now left to us to discern, and selectively accept the things we can’t change. Note the word ‘selectively’. We’ve been told to accept the things we can’t change, but it's easier said than accepted.
Above all, Trust God. God is faithful, even when we go through tests that seemingly exceed what we can handle. Whether you accept it or not, there are forces fighting against your progress in all ramifications of life. I battle with them, too.It's not God's desire that any perish, so cling to His thoughts towards you, but first, get rid of anything that disconnects you from Him.
As long as you are alive, there will always be a better day, and something new to look out for. Be anxious for nothing. In everything you do, put God first. Let Him guide your thoughts and actions. It really is the simplest way to survive all the complications of life.
Aight, close your eyes…take a few deep breaths…and wait for my next post.
Work hard. Pray harder. Trust God
Monday, September 29, 2014
Saturday, September 14, 2013
TRADING ME FOR US
What would you do if you were given the ability to read minds or even transcribe facial expressions and thoughts into texts, then transferring them to your pc without physically typing them out? Okay, I don’t know what I would do, too, but I’d definitely be a bestselling author. Aight, this is just my way of saying there are a number of things I wish I could do, but I know I can’t sleep and wake up the following morning to see them all done. That’s life. If we could live on wishes, I guess no one will be wasting time on a 9 – 5. By the way, Good things don’t always come to those who wait; they sometimes wait for those who get up and seek them.
Every day has its challenges and demands. Some people decide to make others’ happiness their priority, while others never give up on attempting to ruin their neighbors’ day, and eliminating every chance of redemption. We all want to be thought of as some kind of influence or catalyst to someone’s growth, either for self-centered reasons or for the humble pleasure that accompanies exemplary references.
For me, the past year has been very adventurous, daring, experimental, and quite revealing. The question would perhaps be “What was revealed?” Well, trying to explain it all would be as ridiculous as sitting by the beach, in the dead of the night, and attempting to count every Star in sight. One thing I can exhaustively tell you is I don’t know the half of myself. I’m sure some of you would agree with me that it takes certain unplanned incidents to draw out some traits you never thought existed.
I have contended with ‘Me’ for a while now – What I like, what I want, what I would do to get what I want, and the extent I’m wiling to go to keep what I have or what I think I had.
I try hard to break away from the manmade and self-inflicted cultural idea that there are specific levels of feat that should characterize every phase of one’s life, every age bracket. Though I’m not in absolute denial that there should indeed be a level of achievement one would look back to, every now and then. It would be a sheer waste of time to defend the fact that the world would be a predictively boring place without individuality, challenges, disappointments, failures, trials, errors, and of course, the ‘could-have-beens’ and ‘would-have-beens’.
Spending more time in my own world and with God has given me insight into a wealth of eternal common sense. I’ve read a few books (Very few, I must say), but not a single one has provided such unequivocal guidelines to a fulfilled and peaceful life worth living.
God does NOT, and will NOT reveal everything to us. It is His glory to conceal things. To you and I, there’s some kind of grandeur that comes with unraveling hidden things.
God has placed us on a journey of self-discovery, with a map, a few tools, and instructions as we progress. He also gave us the Will to choose (This is probably the most dicey tool in the hands of any man). No one man knows how God operates within everyone, at every given point in time. Like T.D Jakes said, “God remains the same, but His methods change.” (Paraphrased). But there’s a Villain called ‘Me’, who happens to ‘know it all’ and thinks things are always meant to be perfect.
‘Me’ thinks highly of itself, sees the wrong in everyone, and never accepts any blame. ‘Me’ always has an excuse for everything – why things are the way they are, and what could have been done to avoid every unfortunate situation. ‘Me’ makes too much preparations for tomorrow, that it misses the opportunities of ‘today’. ‘Me’ bottles up its disappointments with a pointed nose and a frown, but ‘Us’? Oh, ‘Us’ calls you out, expresses its displeasure, but later hugs you with a Grin.
‘Me’ says “It’s my way or no way” but ‘Us’ says “Let’s try both ways and stick the one that works.”
As a slave to Fate, ‘Me’ thinks it’s ridiculous to have faith and be optimistic, yet realistic. ‘Me’ Says “but He’s got braces” and ‘US’ replies, “Have you seen your toes, lately?”
“Me’ Says “Look what s/he did to me”, but ‘Us’ Says, “Look what you did to your neighbour.” ‘Me’ says “I don’t like it when she pouts and hang her neck from her shoulder like it’s missing a knot, but ‘Us’ says, “Seriously? Have you seen the look on your face in all your photos?”
If I were to act religiously mysterious, I would say, before God formed His greatest creation (man), He said, “Let US create man in OUR own image and likeness…” Okay, that may not be the best biblical example, but the fact still remains that two heads are better than one…when their motives are selfless.
Before you do anything, put yourself in the shoes of others. How will your actions affect them? Don’t see it as giving them the power to dictate what you do or the pace at which you do them; you’re simply creating room for peace, whilst maintaining your sanity. If you want it to be all about you, be my guest…go create your own earth.
I used to feel good, living for ‘Me’. Now, I feel great…living for ‘Us’.
Every day has its challenges and demands. Some people decide to make others’ happiness their priority, while others never give up on attempting to ruin their neighbors’ day, and eliminating every chance of redemption. We all want to be thought of as some kind of influence or catalyst to someone’s growth, either for self-centered reasons or for the humble pleasure that accompanies exemplary references.
For me, the past year has been very adventurous, daring, experimental, and quite revealing. The question would perhaps be “What was revealed?” Well, trying to explain it all would be as ridiculous as sitting by the beach, in the dead of the night, and attempting to count every Star in sight. One thing I can exhaustively tell you is I don’t know the half of myself. I’m sure some of you would agree with me that it takes certain unplanned incidents to draw out some traits you never thought existed.
I have contended with ‘Me’ for a while now – What I like, what I want, what I would do to get what I want, and the extent I’m wiling to go to keep what I have or what I think I had.
I try hard to break away from the manmade and self-inflicted cultural idea that there are specific levels of feat that should characterize every phase of one’s life, every age bracket. Though I’m not in absolute denial that there should indeed be a level of achievement one would look back to, every now and then. It would be a sheer waste of time to defend the fact that the world would be a predictively boring place without individuality, challenges, disappointments, failures, trials, errors, and of course, the ‘could-have-beens’ and ‘would-have-beens’.
Spending more time in my own world and with God has given me insight into a wealth of eternal common sense. I’ve read a few books (Very few, I must say), but not a single one has provided such unequivocal guidelines to a fulfilled and peaceful life worth living.
God does NOT, and will NOT reveal everything to us. It is His glory to conceal things. To you and I, there’s some kind of grandeur that comes with unraveling hidden things.
God has placed us on a journey of self-discovery, with a map, a few tools, and instructions as we progress. He also gave us the Will to choose (This is probably the most dicey tool in the hands of any man). No one man knows how God operates within everyone, at every given point in time. Like T.D Jakes said, “God remains the same, but His methods change.” (Paraphrased). But there’s a Villain called ‘Me’, who happens to ‘know it all’ and thinks things are always meant to be perfect.
‘Me’ thinks highly of itself, sees the wrong in everyone, and never accepts any blame. ‘Me’ always has an excuse for everything – why things are the way they are, and what could have been done to avoid every unfortunate situation. ‘Me’ makes too much preparations for tomorrow, that it misses the opportunities of ‘today’. ‘Me’ bottles up its disappointments with a pointed nose and a frown, but ‘Us’? Oh, ‘Us’ calls you out, expresses its displeasure, but later hugs you with a Grin.
‘Me’ says “It’s my way or no way” but ‘Us’ says “Let’s try both ways and stick the one that works.”
As a slave to Fate, ‘Me’ thinks it’s ridiculous to have faith and be optimistic, yet realistic. ‘Me’ Says “but He’s got braces” and ‘US’ replies, “Have you seen your toes, lately?”
“Me’ Says “Look what s/he did to me”, but ‘Us’ Says, “Look what you did to your neighbour.” ‘Me’ says “I don’t like it when she pouts and hang her neck from her shoulder like it’s missing a knot, but ‘Us’ says, “Seriously? Have you seen the look on your face in all your photos?”
If I were to act religiously mysterious, I would say, before God formed His greatest creation (man), He said, “Let US create man in OUR own image and likeness…” Okay, that may not be the best biblical example, but the fact still remains that two heads are better than one…when their motives are selfless.
Before you do anything, put yourself in the shoes of others. How will your actions affect them? Don’t see it as giving them the power to dictate what you do or the pace at which you do them; you’re simply creating room for peace, whilst maintaining your sanity. If you want it to be all about you, be my guest…go create your own earth.
I used to feel good, living for ‘Me’. Now, I feel great…living for ‘Us’.
Friday, August 24, 2012
YOUR WORDS, YOUR BOND!
When we go to bed at night, we think about the activities of the day – the ones we engage ourselves in, willingly or unwillingly; we think about love; we think about guilt; we think about the people that walked into our lives and the handful that walked out; we think about our victories and our defeats; we think about those mountains that stood in our way early in the day (maybe from days before too); we try to use our minds to turn some things around – correct some or even wish we were never part of certain ordeals.
Life is not without its ups and downs, or highs and lows. It's never a crime to believe in something, neither is it absurd to trust someone unreservedly, without anticipating a glimpse of disappointment. Many promises have been broken; things we never thought would happen speedily come to pass before our very eyes, without prior notice...but we still dust ourselves up and keep moving.
We wish words alone were enough to authenticate people's intentions towards us...we wish the promises they make (made) to us can assuage our doubts and fears...we wish that every vow made could ignite love and sincere concern that will burn forever. We wish wishes could really bring the desires of our hearts to fruition. However, sometimes wish for the most absurd thing…very absurd. Well…
We live in an uncertain world. Most times we don’t even know who to trust, when to trust and why to trust. “What if those words, sweetly spoken, eventually turn out to be nothing but lies and deceit”?
Some people have pushed us to the point where we expect ANYTHING, so we are not caught unawares. Some have pushed us to the extent that we cushion the anticipated effects of disappointments with the conclusion that ANYBODY can disappoint. But…Can we ever be prepared for the worst? Can we ever accept it as ‘one of those things’, and move on?
As you set out each day, try your best to treat people the way you’d want to be treated. Say only what you mean, or hit the mute button. Admit to your wrongs and make amends as swiftly as possible, without placing more emphasis on justifying the reasons for your actions. Words cut deeper than the sharpest knife, so be cautious.
Someone out there is relying on you to say something sweet to them - something that will brighten their entire day; someone is expecting you to just be you; someone is expecting you to be responsible and faithful; someone is expecting you to say the truth, no matter how much it will hurt; someone is expecting you to say ‘I’m sorry’; someone is expecting you to keep your promise and cling to the vows you effortlessly made a while ago! If you must say it, then be ready to honour it.
Your words, your bond. Little wonder God honours His word more than His name.
Life is not without its ups and downs, or highs and lows. It's never a crime to believe in something, neither is it absurd to trust someone unreservedly, without anticipating a glimpse of disappointment. Many promises have been broken; things we never thought would happen speedily come to pass before our very eyes, without prior notice...but we still dust ourselves up and keep moving.
We wish words alone were enough to authenticate people's intentions towards us...we wish the promises they make (made) to us can assuage our doubts and fears...we wish that every vow made could ignite love and sincere concern that will burn forever. We wish wishes could really bring the desires of our hearts to fruition. However, sometimes wish for the most absurd thing…very absurd. Well…
We live in an uncertain world. Most times we don’t even know who to trust, when to trust and why to trust. “What if those words, sweetly spoken, eventually turn out to be nothing but lies and deceit”?
Some people have pushed us to the point where we expect ANYTHING, so we are not caught unawares. Some have pushed us to the extent that we cushion the anticipated effects of disappointments with the conclusion that ANYBODY can disappoint. But…Can we ever be prepared for the worst? Can we ever accept it as ‘one of those things’, and move on?
As you set out each day, try your best to treat people the way you’d want to be treated. Say only what you mean, or hit the mute button. Admit to your wrongs and make amends as swiftly as possible, without placing more emphasis on justifying the reasons for your actions. Words cut deeper than the sharpest knife, so be cautious.
Someone out there is relying on you to say something sweet to them - something that will brighten their entire day; someone is expecting you to just be you; someone is expecting you to be responsible and faithful; someone is expecting you to say the truth, no matter how much it will hurt; someone is expecting you to say ‘I’m sorry’; someone is expecting you to keep your promise and cling to the vows you effortlessly made a while ago! If you must say it, then be ready to honour it.
Your words, your bond. Little wonder God honours His word more than His name.
Monday, June 11, 2012
H.A.L.T.T – Heal and Learn to Think
There’s so much going on on social networking sites, and in the media in general. Trust me, it feels like an entirely different world in itself, with tales that are either within rational expectation, too good to be true, or ridiculously void of common sense. We hear about very successful relationships and marriages, lasting from over a few weeks to decades, and of course, some that barely made it past the first date. Sometimes you can’t but wonder what the whole buzz is about. Well, let me give you a preview: Some can’t do without media attention (it’s contagious); some are just dramatic in nature; some rely on people to think for them, either by posting comments of praise or criticism; some are just addicted to breaking things – hearts, vows, promises and so on.
If you’ve been in a relationship before, you’d agree with me that there are some you wish never started, and others you wish never ended. Once in a while, I try to read a few blogs with captivating captions and i just feel some of the contents are unreal. One of such is a post i read recently about a dude who was going out with a lady, and at the same time promising another person marriage. That’s not all. He had a girlfriend who was providing shelter for him under her roof. After spending so much on this dude, and on the marriage, little did this lady know that she was signing up to become a ‘possession’ rather than a ‘partner’. Personal possessions are not always handled with care or respect, you know? A guy that would tell you “Now that you are my wife, you have to transfer all your properties to my name or make me a signatory to your account(s)” is up to no good. Dude, get a life!
This doesn’t mean ladies have the right to make certain demands too,simply because they now bear his last name and the title ‘wife’. Anyway, i don’t care if that story is true or not, but I don’t expect a responsible man to beat up a woman who refuses to make him a signatory to her account, or condone his quest to render her bankrupt. Scratch that, i don’t expect a responsible man to beat up a woman, however justified he feels his reasons are. Dude, have you lost your mind?Forgive me. I digress a lot.Like I stated earlier, if you’ve ever been in a relationship, there’s at least one person you wish you never made up your mind to date, and maybe one you wish never walked away. Speaking of the former, okay, you have certain regrets about your Ex and the time you spent thinking you were the power supply to his heart, not knowing that you were just one of many back up options? I sympathize with you, but don’t rid yourself of the fact that you can still be happy with someone who will make you his One and Only.
Some of you spend a ridiculous amount of time on social networking sites like twitter and facebook. It’s not a bad thing, not unless you tweet 200times a day, and 97.8% of your tweets are about how miserable you feel, how you’ll never trust guys again, how useless and uncaring you feel your Ex was, how lucky you are to have walked away from the relationship (though it’s a lie), or how he took advantage of your vulnerability. Like seriously?? And you expect that ‘tall, dark, six-packed and handsome’ dude on your timeline to ask you out? Hell no! Not every dude wants to be a potential Trending Topic on twitter, when the chips are down. Have you seen how they shred tweeps apart on that platform? Scary. A lot of dudes would rather not be with a lady who is quick to make her private life public every time she logs into the cyber world. I know some of you do it to gain attention, and you want people to share your grief and all that. STOP IT! It’s not cool.
Speaking of those who wish that dude never walked away, have you stopped to think about why things didn’t work out? Have you stopped to think about what YOU might have done wrong? About what you said and the gravity? Have you even learnt from the experience? I don’t think so. Instead you’ve become a stern believer of the doctrine that all guys are after the same thing – the insatiable desire to go all fleshy on you. Or, in your words “They just want to hit and run.” I think it’s high time you shoved that mentality down the drain. Come to think of it…maybe that’s your major problem….you think ‘for’ the guy, and so your every action is an attempt to resist the fear of what you believe he wants, and you never give him a benefit of the doubt. Here’s one secret: ‘Some guys want to be trusted as individuals’. I bet you didn’t know that.
During every healing process, there are reflections of the good times and the bad times you enjoyed, but unfortunately, a lot of people focus less on the good and allow the bad cloud their judgment. My honest advice: I don’t know how long it takes to heal (maybe it’s dependent on how deep the cut is/was), or how long you should stay single before hopping into another relationship. Sincerely, i don’t care, but one thing you must know is that scars from fresh wounds can still be bruised. You really need to give yourself time to heal, and even more time to think before you say ‘yes’ to the next request.Here are some things I feel you should think about: Don’t focus on how NOT to get things wrong in the next, but let your focus be on how to get things right.
After sufficient healing time, don’t force it, and don’t place yourself under pressure to jump into another one. If the previous one started out nice and sweet, there’s a high probability that the next will start off nicer and sweeter, but that’s not a guarantee that it will last longer. Come to terms with the fact that guys also deserve some special treatment, once in a while. I mean, we like it when you deliver pizza and ice cream to our doorsteps, or even invite us for a movie. It’s not an abomination for you to be the catalyst to a great time out.
In the words of Lady T’Mill “When developing a relationship, be willing to put as much into it, if not more than what you want out. Keep things fair”
Lest I forget, if you are one of those ladies who like to say “I’m hanging out with my b*****s, tonight” or “My friends are h**s, you’ve just gotta love ‘em” and you get mad when guys make those words your nickname, it’s a strong indication that you are oblivious of the gravity of your problem. You may not see anything wrong with it, especially if it’s part of your vocabs among your friends, but that’s really disgusting to hear. Respect yourselves, and maybe guys will stop disrespecting you.
PS: I’m not a relationship doctor….I’m just a guy who has a couple of ideas about how a few guys think.
meit
If you’ve been in a relationship before, you’d agree with me that there are some you wish never started, and others you wish never ended. Once in a while, I try to read a few blogs with captivating captions and i just feel some of the contents are unreal. One of such is a post i read recently about a dude who was going out with a lady, and at the same time promising another person marriage. That’s not all. He had a girlfriend who was providing shelter for him under her roof. After spending so much on this dude, and on the marriage, little did this lady know that she was signing up to become a ‘possession’ rather than a ‘partner’. Personal possessions are not always handled with care or respect, you know? A guy that would tell you “Now that you are my wife, you have to transfer all your properties to my name or make me a signatory to your account(s)” is up to no good. Dude, get a life!
This doesn’t mean ladies have the right to make certain demands too,simply because they now bear his last name and the title ‘wife’. Anyway, i don’t care if that story is true or not, but I don’t expect a responsible man to beat up a woman who refuses to make him a signatory to her account, or condone his quest to render her bankrupt. Scratch that, i don’t expect a responsible man to beat up a woman, however justified he feels his reasons are. Dude, have you lost your mind?Forgive me. I digress a lot.Like I stated earlier, if you’ve ever been in a relationship, there’s at least one person you wish you never made up your mind to date, and maybe one you wish never walked away. Speaking of the former, okay, you have certain regrets about your Ex and the time you spent thinking you were the power supply to his heart, not knowing that you were just one of many back up options? I sympathize with you, but don’t rid yourself of the fact that you can still be happy with someone who will make you his One and Only.
Some of you spend a ridiculous amount of time on social networking sites like twitter and facebook. It’s not a bad thing, not unless you tweet 200times a day, and 97.8% of your tweets are about how miserable you feel, how you’ll never trust guys again, how useless and uncaring you feel your Ex was, how lucky you are to have walked away from the relationship (though it’s a lie), or how he took advantage of your vulnerability. Like seriously?? And you expect that ‘tall, dark, six-packed and handsome’ dude on your timeline to ask you out? Hell no! Not every dude wants to be a potential Trending Topic on twitter, when the chips are down. Have you seen how they shred tweeps apart on that platform? Scary. A lot of dudes would rather not be with a lady who is quick to make her private life public every time she logs into the cyber world. I know some of you do it to gain attention, and you want people to share your grief and all that. STOP IT! It’s not cool.
Speaking of those who wish that dude never walked away, have you stopped to think about why things didn’t work out? Have you stopped to think about what YOU might have done wrong? About what you said and the gravity? Have you even learnt from the experience? I don’t think so. Instead you’ve become a stern believer of the doctrine that all guys are after the same thing – the insatiable desire to go all fleshy on you. Or, in your words “They just want to hit and run.” I think it’s high time you shoved that mentality down the drain. Come to think of it…maybe that’s your major problem….you think ‘for’ the guy, and so your every action is an attempt to resist the fear of what you believe he wants, and you never give him a benefit of the doubt. Here’s one secret: ‘Some guys want to be trusted as individuals’. I bet you didn’t know that.
During every healing process, there are reflections of the good times and the bad times you enjoyed, but unfortunately, a lot of people focus less on the good and allow the bad cloud their judgment. My honest advice: I don’t know how long it takes to heal (maybe it’s dependent on how deep the cut is/was), or how long you should stay single before hopping into another relationship. Sincerely, i don’t care, but one thing you must know is that scars from fresh wounds can still be bruised. You really need to give yourself time to heal, and even more time to think before you say ‘yes’ to the next request.Here are some things I feel you should think about: Don’t focus on how NOT to get things wrong in the next, but let your focus be on how to get things right.
After sufficient healing time, don’t force it, and don’t place yourself under pressure to jump into another one. If the previous one started out nice and sweet, there’s a high probability that the next will start off nicer and sweeter, but that’s not a guarantee that it will last longer. Come to terms with the fact that guys also deserve some special treatment, once in a while. I mean, we like it when you deliver pizza and ice cream to our doorsteps, or even invite us for a movie. It’s not an abomination for you to be the catalyst to a great time out.
In the words of Lady T’Mill “When developing a relationship, be willing to put as much into it, if not more than what you want out. Keep things fair”
Lest I forget, if you are one of those ladies who like to say “I’m hanging out with my b*****s, tonight” or “My friends are h**s, you’ve just gotta love ‘em” and you get mad when guys make those words your nickname, it’s a strong indication that you are oblivious of the gravity of your problem. You may not see anything wrong with it, especially if it’s part of your vocabs among your friends, but that’s really disgusting to hear. Respect yourselves, and maybe guys will stop disrespecting you.
PS: I’m not a relationship doctor….I’m just a guy who has a couple of ideas about how a few guys think.
meit
Saturday, January 21, 2012
SKETCH IT; THEN MOLD IT!
When HE was tired of hearing me describe what I wanted, with additional features every other day, HE got fed up and said to me “Okay, I’ll give you all you need to bring that mental picture into life. Mold it and I’ll breathe life into it, but first, you have to sketch it.”
He gave me a pen, an eraser, a sheet of paper, clay and a bucket of water. “Finally, I had the power to create, right in my hands.” I thought to myself. YEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!!
I set to work, gathering materials for the perfect masterpiece ever created in the mind of man. Everything I ever thought about…all that I wished for…All my expectations – Good attitude, decent character, great potentials, flawless skin tone, wonderful facial features, untarnished eloquence, 100% truthful, average height, sound diet, and very long natural hair with an obvious halo, I put down on a white sheet of paper. It looked so good, but I felt something was still missing (actually, a lot), so I picked up the eraser and wiped off half of the sketch, and continued drawing. I tried to add the subject's choices into the sketch, but i ended up with my partial wishes. Hours went by, and I still wasn’t satisfied. Days, weeks, months, years passed by, and I hadn’t even started molding. Out of frustration, I used what was left of the eraser to wipe off the whole sketch, tore the sheet of paper, broke the pencil, scattered the clay all over the tiled floor, and threw the bucket of water out the window.
I went back to Him with tears rolling down my eyes. “I tried…I’m sorry…I thought I had the perfect picture in my head…I thought I knew it all” I said to him. “But I’m sure if you give me two more pencils, 3 erasers, a fresh sheet of paper, and more time, I can come up with the image in my….” “Shut up!!!” He interrupted. “You’ve spent almost a decade sketching. When are you going to start molding?” He asked, with a straight face.
“Be patient, son!” He continued. “Circumstances will alter your sketch; feelings will war against your intentions, and selfish expectations will break your wall of reasoning. What you thought was impeccable might just be a mirage…What you thought was perfect may not even exist. Trust me to bring the best your way. Be patient, son!” He concluded.
I woke up, picked a pen and a sheet of paper…and wrote “IT AIN’T OVER. I KNOW WHAT I WANT. I’M GONNA SKETCH IT, THEN MOLD IT!”
If you keep forcing him/her to fit into the sketch on your paper or to adapt to your selfish desires, you will end up creating a ‘puppet’ that will eventually malfunction, when ‘it’ can take no more.
If we all had the power to create who we would love to be with, the fun and adventure that comes with discovering our uniqueness will be buried in our quest to ‘paint the future’. What a boring life it would be!
He’s not perfect, but He could be better than the picture you have in your head. She’s not all that you expected, but she certainly could be the one you need to cure you from the illusion that there’s a perfect person out there.
You can sketch it, but molding it would be almost impossible.
Work. Pray. Be grateful
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Living Outside a Secure Terrain - L.O.S.T
There’s a feeling of loneliness…a feeling of abandonment (even though you try to bury it under a smile) when you go through stuff and those you used to think love you more than enough to take a bullet for you, suddenly walk away leaving you to your fate. Suddenly they become too busy to even pick your calls or reply your texts. At that point, you feel taking your own life would be justified, after all, who cares? Well, I’m sure you don’t expect me to say, “Yep, get a very strong rope, wrap around your neck, tie it to a pole, and jump off a high rise”? Maybe you’ve never found yourself in such a situation, but you’ve had someone approach you, saying “I have absolutely nothing else to live for. All I have is gone.” All you have might be gone, but you’re still living.
There’s a feeling of rejection…an ardent feeling of guilt resident in your heart because of one thing you did yesterday or the day before, or an addiction you can’t seem to have control over. Each time you engage yourself in that act, you feel like the filthiest or the most irresponsible person ever. It might not be morally disturbing to the ears, because of the kind of world we live in…but somehow you feel you’re doing something wrong. This guilt has built a fence around you, with spikes along its edges. It has caged you in, debarring you from sharing your ordeal with anyone for a shot at liberation. Every night you lock yourself indoors, weeping and magnifying the pain inside. Does this feeling sound any familiar? Look around you. You might just be far from Home.
Early this year, if someone walked up to me to say, “I see you wandering down the forbidden road” I would have sworn by my own grave that it wouldn’t happen, even if all hell broke loose! That response would probably lie between pride, confidence, or ignorance of how vulnerable and helpless I can be without God’s guidance. I don’t know where I would be without Him. On a second thought, I know – I’d be lost in sin…too far to make my way back without bruises and torn limbs, that’s if I ever make it back.
The devil knew how difficult and practically impossible it was to lay hold of Job, whilst God’s hedge surrounded him and everything he owned. There are some things we shouldn’t even wish for. There are some people we shouldn’t even wish to be like, cos we have no idea of what they lost to gain what they have; we have no idea of what they consciously sacrificed to get to where they are.
Staying within the hedge God has created around us is vital to our survival. Outside God’s camp, there’s no guarantee that you’ll return unharmed, so why take the risk?
It’s not safe out there. The TIME is nigh. We have to be vigilant. God’s hands extend to the ends of the earth, but we can still wander away from under his covering.
Even though God permitted the devil to do everything he wanted to all that Job had, the loss still affected Job. The devil is still prowling like a roaring lion, seeking for whom to devour. A metre away from God’s camp and you’ll become a potential prey. Our protection is in the Lord.
Everything above may not be applicable to you. Glory to God. But you might have noticed that some people are missing from camp. Help them navigate their way back. We ARE our Brothers' keeper.
Three of Seven prayers: Lord, I sometimes wander away from your presence, advertently or inadvertently. It could be fun outside the camp, you know? But I’ve come to realize that no form of pleasure outside your presence is worth the risk of getting lost in the world. We want to be where you are…dwelling in your presence and surrounded by your glory. Lord, protect us and our families. May we not be carried away by the pleasures of the world, that we forget who we are and who we belong to. Amen.
Work. Pray. be Thankful
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
WHEN YOU DON'T HEAR A VOICE
"The soul that can speak through the eyes can also kiss with a gaze" - Gustavo Adolfo Becquer.
I'm not sure what really caught my attention in that quote, but whatever it was, I guess I kinda heard a voice that said 'I speak even when I'm silent'
I remember growing up...If you're discerning enough, you'll know that the look yo mama gave you yesterday that said "Get ur feet off the sofa" has a different meaning, today, like "How many times do I have to tell you to do the dishes after every meal?" Or "Do u realize that you are embarrassing me in front of our guest? Go to ur room, NOW" Oh my! Don't even try to picture the eye-contact and the look on that face. (I think I exaggerated a lil too much Lol) You just have to act like you heard a voice that instructed you to move, especially when you are convinced that what you're doing ain't right.
There's this feeling of relief/disappointment, when we don't hear God's audible voice at the time we really need Him to speak back to us. God doesn't always speak to us with an audible voice. If we have the mind of Christ (like we claim to) and the holy spirit to guide us, then we probably are more in line with His will than we think.
The fact that things might not be working out the way we'd love them to doesn't mean there's something we're not doing right. Well, you know urself better than I do.
Evaluating your life based on people's expectations from you can be detrimental to fulfilling God's actual plan for you. Be careful who you give access into the affairs of your life.
I've heard people say "God always speaks. We're the ones not hearing Him" Well, yes He does speak, but not always via the medium we expect; Not always with a still small voice or a voice that causes the earth to tremble.
Maybe the response you require is 'wotchu thinking, son? Don't do it!!" But instead, there's a conviction within that analyzes every possible outcome of your proposed action, and suddenly your mind is filled with unrest until to take a step. You'd actually be extremely foolish not to back off, simply because you didn't hear a voice.
We get to a certain stage in life, where we are the weighing scale of our actions; a stage where we actually know good from evil, but we still feel very adventurous, and decid to pick evil, hoping we'll have enough time to get a second shot.
Thank God for grace, but grace alone will not save us, so I guess it's time we started living right.
Two of Seven Prayers: Lord, we are not denying that we are ignorant of what is good and what is evil. Our flesh sometimes gets the better of us, and tend to cripple our ability to respond to the leading of ur spirit. Cast us not away from your presence, Lord, as we retrace our steps, and align ourselves back to the paths you originally created for us. Order our steps, daily, even when we don't Hear you speak. Amen
Work. Pray. Be Thankful!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A CHILD'S TOUCH
I haven't written in a while....I mean, i've been writing, but i haven't posted stuff in a while, cos i never get to finish registering my thoughts at once, for the past 7 months (It always gets to a point where it doesn't make thorough sense).
I'm sure some of you feel that way, from time to time. i may be wrong. It's sometimes very easy to get distracted from what you used to do with so much passion and conviction, and at times, it could be very difficult to unlock yourself from those shackles of distractions that have entangled you and wrapped a thick dark clothing around your face, to mess up your vision.
Have you ever felt so far away from Home, even though you never wandered away for more than a mile? Have you ever felt like you've slept for so long, even though you never shut your eyes for a second? Have you ever felt tolerated, even though there are more than enough people around you to hold hands with and have fun? Well, that defines how I feel sometimes. (No questions. lol).
Last night, i went to bed feeling a lil cold (not literally), but somehow i hit the 'snooze' button...eventually. I woke up this morning, my feelings lacking adequate definition. i knew I had to push myself to lighten up...I knew i had to give God nothing less than my best at the service, even though my relationship with him has been a bit..... I got dressed and hit the road. I kept replaying the song we learnt at the tuesday rehearsal "One Thing Remains" by Jesus Culture (This song has blessed me). The words that resounded in my head were "Even in the obvious face of defeat, believe" Okay. What next? What exactly was I supposed to believe in/on? I sought for clarity...
After selecting and rehearsing the songs for the day, i sat down to have a quick chat with a friend, and she said to me "God will never withhold any good thing from you" Huh??? Like, seriously?? As if that wasn't enough, the preacher spoke for over 45mins, making references to God's unfailing love. I learnt that God doesn't love us MORE for what we've done or what we do, neither does He love us LESS for what we've not done, or are yet to do. He just loves us. Period. He loves us in our strong moments, in our weakness, mess, inadequacies, shortcomings, and in any other situation we seem to have put ourselves in (or find/found ourselves in). The preacher's testimony of how he overcame betrayal and distrust with intentional and purposeful Love - the kinda love that was processed in heaven - knocked me off balance. That singular display of love attracted a word that quenched 14yrs of thirst. His testimony blew my mind. With tears almost rolling down, I gave in "I believe. Take the Wheel" At that point, I felt His love again.
May we not miss what God wants to do in our lives, all in the name of a Let's-be-realistic mindset. His timing may not align with your urgent and I-need-it-now-or-never needs, but He remains faithful. I don't think he will ever be sorry for not being on time, like we expect Him to. Jesus heard of Lazarus's ill health, but delayed for two days. Jesus did not only delay to make martha and her sister feel any different, he was about to teach the disciples, you and I, a new level of 'believing'. The Message bible puts it this way "Then Jesus became explicit: "Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn't there. You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let's go to him." John 11:14-15. He wasn't doing it for the spotlight, like some of us do today. Even martha didn't fully understand (I wouldn't have either). She believed that if Jesus asked the Father, her brother would be raised up, but in the resurrection, at the endtime "Master, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you." John 11:21-22. "I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time." she said. Sometimes He responds sooner than we expect, and other times he takes His time. He is God. He is never late. My prayer for us is that we'll always be ready, with our faith intact, no matter how long it takes for Him to respond.
God's love is as gentle as a Child's touch. It's purposeful. It's harmless. As i played the bass lines to the song, this morning, i recalled carrying a baby a few weeks back (Well, i love babies hehehe). As i held this Child close, she stared at me. Noisy room, loads of distractions, yet she kept her eyes locked on me. I wish i could understand why she couldn't get her eyes off me..It was a mystery. Even when people carried her, she kept turning her head until she could no longer see me in sight. Once again, i carried her, and I felt the attention again. i leaned closer and she stretched her hands to touch my face...Wow! What a feeling it was!!! I was just unnecessarily happy. A group of people watched me carry this child round the hall, and were actually convinced she was mine. lol (i wish!). Others asked what i did to the child to capture her attention.
There's no depth in any of these, neither is there a theological explanation or revelation, but on that stage, this morning, I felt God's unconditional love...the kind of love that cannot be fully comprehended...the kind of love that says "I don't care what you've been through, I don't care what others may think of you, I don't care how many times you drove a spear into my side, I don't care if you are tagged (by people who think they know better) as unholy, filthy and unworthy to stand before me, i don't care if you just messed up the other night" The kinda love that says "I still have my eyes on you" The kinda love that never judges or holds to heart hurts and disappointments...the kinda love that forgives when we ask.
There's nothing special we've done (or are doing) to attract God's optimum attention. He loved us from the inception and creation of the earth. That love hasn't changed...it never will. Don't miss what God is about to do, and has started doing in your life.
My prayer for us is that God will touch us in a way that we have never felt before. He will turn things around to favour us. Also have it in mind that He will never withhold any good thing from YOU. If it's good for you, He'll surely bring it your way...and if it' not, He can take it away, if you give Him the chance to. The question is "Are you willing to let go, and receive what He has for you? Selah.
Though we might not fully understand why, but He loves us anyway. NEVER forget this!!!! Work Hard. Pray Harder. Thank God
Last night, i went to bed feeling a lil cold (not literally), but somehow i hit the 'snooze' button...eventually. I woke up this morning, my feelings lacking adequate definition. i knew I had to push myself to lighten up...I knew i had to give God nothing less than my best at the service, even though my relationship with him has been a bit..... I got dressed and hit the road. I kept replaying the song we learnt at the tuesday rehearsal "One Thing Remains" by Jesus Culture (This song has blessed me). The words that resounded in my head were "Even in the obvious face of defeat, believe" Okay. What next? What exactly was I supposed to believe in/on? I sought for clarity...
After selecting and rehearsing the songs for the day, i sat down to have a quick chat with a friend, and she said to me "God will never withhold any good thing from you" Huh??? Like, seriously?? As if that wasn't enough, the preacher spoke for over 45mins, making references to God's unfailing love. I learnt that God doesn't love us MORE for what we've done or what we do, neither does He love us LESS for what we've not done, or are yet to do. He just loves us. Period. He loves us in our strong moments, in our weakness, mess, inadequacies, shortcomings, and in any other situation we seem to have put ourselves in (or find/found ourselves in). The preacher's testimony of how he overcame betrayal and distrust with intentional and purposeful Love - the kinda love that was processed in heaven - knocked me off balance. That singular display of love attracted a word that quenched 14yrs of thirst. His testimony blew my mind. With tears almost rolling down, I gave in "I believe. Take the Wheel" At that point, I felt His love again.
May we not miss what God wants to do in our lives, all in the name of a Let's-be-realistic mindset. His timing may not align with your urgent and I-need-it-now-or-never needs, but He remains faithful. I don't think he will ever be sorry for not being on time, like we expect Him to. Jesus heard of Lazarus's ill health, but delayed for two days. Jesus did not only delay to make martha and her sister feel any different, he was about to teach the disciples, you and I, a new level of 'believing'. The Message bible puts it this way "Then Jesus became explicit: "Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn't there. You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let's go to him." John 11:14-15. He wasn't doing it for the spotlight, like some of us do today. Even martha didn't fully understand (I wouldn't have either). She believed that if Jesus asked the Father, her brother would be raised up, but in the resurrection, at the endtime "Master, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you." John 11:21-22. "I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time." she said. Sometimes He responds sooner than we expect, and other times he takes His time. He is God. He is never late. My prayer for us is that we'll always be ready, with our faith intact, no matter how long it takes for Him to respond.
God's love is as gentle as a Child's touch. It's purposeful. It's harmless. As i played the bass lines to the song, this morning, i recalled carrying a baby a few weeks back (Well, i love babies hehehe). As i held this Child close, she stared at me. Noisy room, loads of distractions, yet she kept her eyes locked on me. I wish i could understand why she couldn't get her eyes off me..It was a mystery. Even when people carried her, she kept turning her head until she could no longer see me in sight. Once again, i carried her, and I felt the attention again. i leaned closer and she stretched her hands to touch my face...Wow! What a feeling it was!!! I was just unnecessarily happy. A group of people watched me carry this child round the hall, and were actually convinced she was mine. lol (i wish!). Others asked what i did to the child to capture her attention.
There's no depth in any of these, neither is there a theological explanation or revelation, but on that stage, this morning, I felt God's unconditional love...the kind of love that cannot be fully comprehended...the kind of love that says "I don't care what you've been through, I don't care what others may think of you, I don't care how many times you drove a spear into my side, I don't care if you are tagged (by people who think they know better) as unholy, filthy and unworthy to stand before me, i don't care if you just messed up the other night" The kinda love that says "I still have my eyes on you" The kinda love that never judges or holds to heart hurts and disappointments...the kinda love that forgives when we ask.
There's nothing special we've done (or are doing) to attract God's optimum attention. He loved us from the inception and creation of the earth. That love hasn't changed...it never will. Don't miss what God is about to do, and has started doing in your life.
My prayer for us is that God will touch us in a way that we have never felt before. He will turn things around to favour us. Also have it in mind that He will never withhold any good thing from YOU. If it's good for you, He'll surely bring it your way...and if it' not, He can take it away, if you give Him the chance to. The question is "Are you willing to let go, and receive what He has for you? Selah.
Though we might not fully understand why, but He loves us anyway. NEVER forget this!!!! Work Hard. Pray Harder. Thank God
Thursday, May 19, 2011
WHEN MY HEART TICKS
Every heart beat reminds me that I’m still alive for a reason. What I do after the thought twinkles either fuels my motivation towards the goal or militates against fulfilling it. Many people say life is unfair, and one can almost not make anything good out of it. Well, the ones that believe life is full of opportunities create a platform (internet) for such people to spread their pessimistic thoughts. A lot of people have been employed via the internet; some have been fired via emails, and even social networking sites (I don’t have any proof lol). Some people have made friends over the internet; others have truncated their relationships over the internet. People have been duped/scammed over the internet; some others have become rich just by clicking on links from the comfort of their homes.
A digression: Speaking of being duped or scammed, some months back, one dude was really upset with me for not falling for his buy-6PCs-for-$500 scam (From the US including shipping!) HAHAHA!!! Is it just me or is there a way people can determine how vulnerable (they think) you are by looking at your picture?
I wish some things didn’t happen; I wish other things happened. I understand some things that happen, when they happen. I don’t even understand why some things happened, happen or didn’t happen. Truth is, I really don’t care why some things happened, happen or didn’t happen. Some answers leave you with more questions. why then should i worry my little head? I sometimes wish my wishes could actually yield results – like wishing that someone would just wake up one day and be interested in my vision, and say “Hey, tiem…I’d like to invest in your dreams. I budgeted this money for something else, but I just feel you need it more than I do” hahaha! (Ignore that).
But sincerely, right now, I’m in the library trying to figure out how to complete this coursework, but I find myself typing this post, wishing that by a stroke of luck, it makes sense to someone….wishing that as you read it, you recall the reason why you’re still alive…wishing you’ll have faith that as the sun always shines after the storm, your next move will produce results better than yesterday’s. And, yeah, I also wish this course work can finish itself.
Er…just kidding! Have a blessed life. Remember, If you come off as a sad person, don’t blame me for staying away from you. In this case, opposite don’t attract. That’s just a scientific theory. If I’m a little happy, I want to be associated with happier people. The only reason you, as a happy person, should be hanging around unhappy people should be to help them find happiness. You shouldn't leave them more depressed than you met them. Sometimes we need to shut up, and listen. Share their pain, but help them get rid of it. Also, you can't have answers to everything. Make sure there's a clear distinction between suggestions/advice and/or universally proven methods (if there's anyhing like that...okay, there isn't!).
Okay, these are just random thoughts tiptoeing into my head, so pardon me for not articulating them under ‘headings’. You don’t really mind, do you? Lol
work hard. pray harder. Thank God
PS: true and lasting happiness comes from within...Everlasting joy comes from above, ONLY - from GOD. yep! i said it!
A digression: Speaking of being duped or scammed, some months back, one dude was really upset with me for not falling for his buy-6PCs-for-$500 scam (From the US including shipping!) HAHAHA!!! Is it just me or is there a way people can determine how vulnerable (they think) you are by looking at your picture?
I wish some things didn’t happen; I wish other things happened. I understand some things that happen, when they happen. I don’t even understand why some things happened, happen or didn’t happen. Truth is, I really don’t care why some things happened, happen or didn’t happen. Some answers leave you with more questions. why then should i worry my little head? I sometimes wish my wishes could actually yield results – like wishing that someone would just wake up one day and be interested in my vision, and say “Hey, tiem…I’d like to invest in your dreams. I budgeted this money for something else, but I just feel you need it more than I do” hahaha! (Ignore that).
But sincerely, right now, I’m in the library trying to figure out how to complete this coursework, but I find myself typing this post, wishing that by a stroke of luck, it makes sense to someone….wishing that as you read it, you recall the reason why you’re still alive…wishing you’ll have faith that as the sun always shines after the storm, your next move will produce results better than yesterday’s. And, yeah, I also wish this course work can finish itself.
Er…just kidding! Have a blessed life. Remember, If you come off as a sad person, don’t blame me for staying away from you. In this case, opposite don’t attract. That’s just a scientific theory. If I’m a little happy, I want to be associated with happier people. The only reason you, as a happy person, should be hanging around unhappy people should be to help them find happiness. You shouldn't leave them more depressed than you met them. Sometimes we need to shut up, and listen. Share their pain, but help them get rid of it. Also, you can't have answers to everything. Make sure there's a clear distinction between suggestions/advice and/or universally proven methods (if there's anyhing like that...okay, there isn't!).
Okay, these are just random thoughts tiptoeing into my head, so pardon me for not articulating them under ‘headings’. You don’t really mind, do you? Lol
work hard. pray harder. Thank God
PS: true and lasting happiness comes from within...Everlasting joy comes from above, ONLY - from GOD. yep! i said it!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
GOD FILLS TILL IT SPILLS
As you might have observed, most of my writings stem out of a personal encounter or experience, and the more I share/talk about them, the more conscious I am about the relevance and effects they've had in my life, and probably will have in yours as well. None of it is actually new to you. Maybe you just shoved them aside. Let's call it a ‘reminder’ to us - God is 'speakING' to you and I.
I sincerely hope it causes a change in your life, as it has already done in mine within the last few hours.
I got a text message yesterday reminding me of a bi-weekly meeting that was scheduled to hold in the church auditorium as against the usual 'in your area' meeting. As at the time I received the text, I was still in bed, undecided about how my day was going to start, let alone anticipating a desired ending. I was just there, thinking about so many things. I mean, don't we all just have that moment in our lives where we feel like doing absolutely nothing? We let our minds go on a misguided trip without our consent, and then it brings back so much unwanted castoffs that we find it difficult to ignore, handle or even filter them. (I'm sure you know what I mean).
My day eventually kicked off around noon, but it was a slow one. It was almost time for the meeting, but I totally forgot, cos I didn't even make up my mind to attend it, in the morning. I heard a knock on my door, and as I opened it, there stood my flatmate, asking me if I was going to church for the meeting. I reluctantly answered, cos I felt i could cover much of my academic work within those few hours I'd be in church. Some of us are yet to value the importance of 'fellowship' God will not equip you for yourself alone...He doesn't give us gifts/talents/skills/abilities just because he wants them to look good on us...he gives them to us so that we can be of benefit to others (You can call it iron sharpening iron).
I got dressed, and we both went to catch the bus. I can boldly say that the meeting caused a turn-around in my life. My eyes were opened to the power of sharing your testimony - telling your story. God has done so much for some of us, but it's not worth standing on the rooftop to share, simply because he's yet to do the ones we truly desire him to do. (That's an ungrateful heart right there) I heard people testify about God's goodness in their lives, and I was scared that I might have deprived someone of the benefits of sharing my testimony...I felt guilty cos I had categorized God's blessings into slightly small, small, slightly big, big and huge. (Some people actually specify the kinda testimony you can pick up the mic to share, but trust me, anything that was done NOT by your power, is a testimony). I heard some amazing testimonies about what God did in the lives of people, that evening. Not only did the testimonies blow my mind, the faith that the testifiers had in God, enough to trust him to move in their lives, was equally dumbfounding. This stirred up something within me.
This might not be new to some of you bible scholars, researchers or mystery-thirsty individuals, but I learnt that 'testimony' in hebrew, means 'to do again', and so I came to a conclusion that, we do not only share our testimonies to glorify/thank God for his goodness, or to encourage people to trust God more, but we share them because we want God to do more - to do again. We're simply saying "Lord, you provided a job and I'm grateful, but God, it isn't going to stop there, is it? Blow my mind again...I'm expectant...this can't be your best...I believe you have something bigger for me"
God has so many promises stored up for us, but we only access a few because we already have a whole lot of junk hanging on our shoulders, and we are not willing to let them go. I can imagine God asking "if you don't empty your bowl, how will I fill it up?" The psalmist said "you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, and my cup runneth OVER" Right there for all to see! It runs over because it wasn't meant for the cup alone - it wasn't meant to ONLY fill the cup. God's blessings CANNOT be contained - it exposes itself beyond limits.
He blesses us so we can have to give. When he gives us, he doesn't expect us to hold back, not from him, not from anyone. A songwriter said "Pressed down, shaken together, running OVER, is the favour of God" Yes! That's one thing we need to remember (luke 6:38)
When you think 'God', think 'big' Think 'beyond measures' Think 'No impossibility' Think 'Running over' Think 'more than I can/will ever contain'
Don't deprive God of the glory in that so-called little testimony of yours, don't deprive people of the benefits of that 'slightly small' testimony of yours, and the encouragement they can garner from it, Don't hold back God's blessings - don't try to contain it, it was meant to spill. It can burst within you if you try to contain it, and I'm not guaranteeing that it won't hurt you.
What was once a blessing to you can end up killing you! (Ask saul) It’s really not about us. ALWAYS give glory to whom it’s due!
Just an illustration: Speaking of offering, the bible says “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10)
"Bring your tithes and offerings (I ain't preaching) into my store house, and I’ll bless you beyond what you can handle...beyond what you can contain" (paraphrased).
"You feel it when God fills you; when it spills, then the world sees it. God's blessings CANNOT be contained..." tiemTHINKS
Don't try to hide it. Let it flow. It was meant to spill! Tell your story. Share it. It will stir up something in someone else. No matter how paltry you think it may sound, It will provoke SOMEONE to trust God more...Above all, when you share it you're telling God "please, do it again, but this time around...bigger"!!!
Share the little one you have....there's more to come....
Work hard. Pray harder. Thank God!
I sincerely hope it causes a change in your life, as it has already done in mine within the last few hours.
I got a text message yesterday reminding me of a bi-weekly meeting that was scheduled to hold in the church auditorium as against the usual 'in your area' meeting. As at the time I received the text, I was still in bed, undecided about how my day was going to start, let alone anticipating a desired ending. I was just there, thinking about so many things. I mean, don't we all just have that moment in our lives where we feel like doing absolutely nothing? We let our minds go on a misguided trip without our consent, and then it brings back so much unwanted castoffs that we find it difficult to ignore, handle or even filter them. (I'm sure you know what I mean).
My day eventually kicked off around noon, but it was a slow one. It was almost time for the meeting, but I totally forgot, cos I didn't even make up my mind to attend it, in the morning. I heard a knock on my door, and as I opened it, there stood my flatmate, asking me if I was going to church for the meeting. I reluctantly answered, cos I felt i could cover much of my academic work within those few hours I'd be in church. Some of us are yet to value the importance of 'fellowship' God will not equip you for yourself alone...He doesn't give us gifts/talents/skills/abilities just because he wants them to look good on us...he gives them to us so that we can be of benefit to others (You can call it iron sharpening iron).
I got dressed, and we both went to catch the bus. I can boldly say that the meeting caused a turn-around in my life. My eyes were opened to the power of sharing your testimony - telling your story. God has done so much for some of us, but it's not worth standing on the rooftop to share, simply because he's yet to do the ones we truly desire him to do. (That's an ungrateful heart right there) I heard people testify about God's goodness in their lives, and I was scared that I might have deprived someone of the benefits of sharing my testimony...I felt guilty cos I had categorized God's blessings into slightly small, small, slightly big, big and huge. (Some people actually specify the kinda testimony you can pick up the mic to share, but trust me, anything that was done NOT by your power, is a testimony). I heard some amazing testimonies about what God did in the lives of people, that evening. Not only did the testimonies blow my mind, the faith that the testifiers had in God, enough to trust him to move in their lives, was equally dumbfounding. This stirred up something within me.
This might not be new to some of you bible scholars, researchers or mystery-thirsty individuals, but I learnt that 'testimony' in hebrew, means 'to do again', and so I came to a conclusion that, we do not only share our testimonies to glorify/thank God for his goodness, or to encourage people to trust God more, but we share them because we want God to do more - to do again. We're simply saying "Lord, you provided a job and I'm grateful, but God, it isn't going to stop there, is it? Blow my mind again...I'm expectant...this can't be your best...I believe you have something bigger for me"
God has so many promises stored up for us, but we only access a few because we already have a whole lot of junk hanging on our shoulders, and we are not willing to let them go. I can imagine God asking "if you don't empty your bowl, how will I fill it up?" The psalmist said "you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, and my cup runneth OVER" Right there for all to see! It runs over because it wasn't meant for the cup alone - it wasn't meant to ONLY fill the cup. God's blessings CANNOT be contained - it exposes itself beyond limits.
He blesses us so we can have to give. When he gives us, he doesn't expect us to hold back, not from him, not from anyone. A songwriter said "Pressed down, shaken together, running OVER, is the favour of God" Yes! That's one thing we need to remember (luke 6:38)
When you think 'God', think 'big' Think 'beyond measures' Think 'No impossibility' Think 'Running over' Think 'more than I can/will ever contain'
Don't deprive God of the glory in that so-called little testimony of yours, don't deprive people of the benefits of that 'slightly small' testimony of yours, and the encouragement they can garner from it, Don't hold back God's blessings - don't try to contain it, it was meant to spill. It can burst within you if you try to contain it, and I'm not guaranteeing that it won't hurt you.
What was once a blessing to you can end up killing you! (Ask saul) It’s really not about us. ALWAYS give glory to whom it’s due!
Just an illustration: Speaking of offering, the bible says “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10)
"Bring your tithes and offerings (I ain't preaching) into my store house, and I’ll bless you beyond what you can handle...beyond what you can contain" (paraphrased).
"You feel it when God fills you; when it spills, then the world sees it. God's blessings CANNOT be contained..." tiemTHINKS
Don't try to hide it. Let it flow. It was meant to spill! Tell your story. Share it. It will stir up something in someone else. No matter how paltry you think it may sound, It will provoke SOMEONE to trust God more...Above all, when you share it you're telling God "please, do it again, but this time around...bigger"!!!
Share the little one you have....there's more to come....
Work hard. Pray harder. Thank God!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)