I was so excited about my previous post that I thought to do another one. Following from my last post, I mentioned that Order is important because your life needs to be in order if you are going tobe of influence to someone else. In relation to last posts discussion, there is a place for order in our lives because orderliness is next to godliness.
Order is important because your life needs to be in order if you are going to be of influence to someone else.
I thought of the man who Jesus told to leave everything and follow him and the man replied by telling Jesus that he needed to go back and settle some things. You may be wondering what this has to do with order but it led me to reflect on the reality of my situation. I had a whole list of things to do- from school work to tidying my room. I simply thought that I would focus on my school work and leave the tidying up till the weekend.
This parable made me realise that we have to be ready at any time because God can call on us at any time. Jesus can even come at any time so we have to be ready. The same way anyone can show up at my doorstep and I want to be ready to receive them. I want the atmosphere of my space to be cheerful and in order; not dull and a mess. We may not always get a second change re-perform (1 Kings 19:19-21) so at all time be ready.
God can call on us at any time. Jesus can even come at anytime
I would not pretend like I am an ‘A’ student when it comes to being tidy but the point I am driving at is that you never know when Jesus will send someone your way, so you have to be in order and be prepared.
Most importantly you have to be equipped with the Word. 2 Timothy 4:2 tells us that we should be prepared in and out of season because we may have to speak to someone or encourage someone or be of influence to someone. We don’t have to lay things off till we are sure and everything is falling in place or wait for the ‘perfect’ moment. We should ensure that at all times we are ready like soldiers because soldiers are always ready for battle. The trumpet can sound at any time.
Soldiers are always ready for battle. The trumpet can sound at any time.
We have to be smart and on our feet. In the previous post, I mentioned that the prudent give thought to their ways (Proverbs 14:15). A prudent person considers the future. You have to think ahead and think fast and in line with God’s plan for your life.
You have to think ahead and think fast and in line with God’s plan for your life.
In summary:
Your Life needs to be in order for you to be of influence
Orderliness means being prepared at all times
Order your steps in line with God’s word
Be equipped with the word in and out of season meaning at every time
Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t think about this initially. I had something on my mind to write about for two weeks and I didn’t know how to put it down. Then it dawned on me that I haven’t done an audio message in a while. This audio message is basically about recovering from a ‘burn out’. What I mean by that is recovering from a low point in your life. I actually wanted to post an audio message directly from my church website, that’s Heart Church Nottingham. I was listening to the message and it was so in line with my message for you and in fact my personal experiences. I will still put the link up so in your spare time, please listen to it.
So, speaking of low points, I am probably not the only one who has been at that point where everything is going great and things are falling in place both physically and spiritually. But it’s like we have put in so much work into perfecting our lives that we suddenly feel exhausted.
Pastor Malcolm while speaking about the topic ‘from setback to comeback’ made reference to Elijah. He was at his high point, working miracles and doing God’s work. Then suddenly he is threatened by Queen Jezebel and it’s like “I’m going to die anyway Lord kill me!” 1 KINGS 19:1-9
I remember at the beginning of the year before and during my exams, I worked so hard because I wanted to do so well, being the ‘guru’ that I am. Once exams were over I was so exhausted, I didn’t feel like doing anything. Spiritually and physically my battery was flat.
And in speaking to her and reflecting, I realized that it usually took a while to come out of a setback stage. So in Pastor Malcolm’s message ‘from setback to comeback’, he mentioned 5 things to do to comeback from a setback.
The first thing is to Arise. You can’t run forever. You can’t hide away forever. Elijah ran and thought dying will solve his problem but that was not the solution. That was just a lie he was feeding himself with out of fear. You need to create the right environment for yourself. What are you listening to, what is influencing your decision and your thoughts? You need to stop making excuses for remaining in the setback position. You need to step out into an environment where you can be fed with positivity and encouragement. Social Media does not- I repeat- does not help! Where does your report come from? The second thing is that the angel told him to eat. Elijah had to get up, eat and drink.
He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 1Kings 19:6
In your case it might be that you need to eat, drink, and exercise. You need to relax and take care of yourself. Create space to groom yourself. In my case I had to fast. The first time I was low, I thought the solution was to spoil myself and do whatever will make me happy. I was eating, exercising, going out. But that was not what I needed. Someone needs to retreat! It doesn’t mean you need to isolate yourself, because you need to be in an environment where you can be encouraged, but you may need to separate from the things of the world and focus on God.
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1Tim4:8
Physically Building yourself is very good. Exercise helps a lot with relaxing and de-stressing but godliness profits also. This brings me to my third point, which is, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Because godliness is from the Spirit of God.
Another thing is: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5:18
Doing things that physically elevate you will only be temporary but with the Spirit of God you can be sure of a smooth constant flow. I was turning to the wrong things like movies, food, hanging out with friends. I was doing anything to escape and ignoring the fact that I was feeling down and low.
The next thing is: You need to rest in God. One thing I failed to really do was pray and give things to God. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
The times I felt low, I just didn’t do anything about it. But the third time I was like no! I cannot allow sin, I cannot allow depression to hold me down. I remember praying for God’s rest and his peace. At such times it might be difficult to even pray. When I can’t pray what I do is listen to music because it helps me get into the mood of prayer.
The last thing is to let God minister to you. Most importantly you have to be open to receive from Him.
We all have that setback, low point. No one wants to admit that “I’m depressed or I’m falling back into sin.” Just because we have been Christians for so long. But we need to separate ourselves from things that set up back or refuse to let us come back.
I attended a workshop where a few things were said about order. Ordering our lives is important so we can take charge of what God wants us to do in the world. You cannot influence others if your life is not in order
I did not start writing again till end of March because I was burned out. I couldn’t influence anyone because I didn’t have anything to give. I was running away from everything. When you see yourself getting burned out, you need to come out of it and that’s what I’m talking about when I refer to the five steps:
Arise from your burnt-out situation
In my case I needed to fast, you might need to take care of yourself and eat better and take walks and go on a retreat or a vacation. Be joyful. But it’s not about being selfish and ignoring your responsibilities. No, it’s about knowing what is right.
In Proverbs 14:15 the bible says only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.
Whatever you’re doing you need to think about it. Is it in line with who I am as a child of God? Is it in line with what God wants for me at this time?
You need to let the Holy Spirit guide you
You need to rest in God
You need to let God minister to you and you need to be open to receive from him
This is the month of May and I want to wish you a happy new month ahead.
Today is Apple Pancake Inspiration Launch Day (A.P.R.I.L.) April is also my birthday month (just slipping it in there). I remember my first food recipe post on this platform which was about puff puff. This experience is definitely a success compared to that and I want you to really try this out.
So what’s this all about?
@Giphy
I used to make my pancakes by first adding the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients (like milk, egg e.t.c) but it ended up looking like crepes and not fluffy the way I wanted it. So I learnt it a new way (inspiration from my Kenyan friend). I am sure most people do it this ‘new’ way already, but if you don’t, I am happy to be the pioneer of your new pancake mix.
So the simple trick is to add the flour at the last stage and not mix everything jambajantis together like I used to.
Another question you might be asking is why apples? Well, you can use anything really. My personal favorite is a banana, but most people use blueberries, white chocolate, raisins e.t.c. It depends on what you like. Also, apple was the ideal choice for my APRIL acronym.
Here is what you need (7 servings):
1 Cup Self-Raising Flour
2 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Egg
Pinch Salt
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Apple
Liquid milk (I use Nido and then add warm water)
1 Tablespoon Oil
Here is the process:
Okay so I don’t exactly measure all my ingredients and I don’t know how to quantify pinch in baking terms if there’s anything like that but you can choose to trust me (take a leap of faith).
@Giphy
Chop the apples into very small dice ( so that it does not stick out of your pancakes like large cubes) in a pot and add some sugar ( I do not like mine too sweet because I add syrup at the end). Add some water and boil till the apples are soft enough and the water is evaporated. It will be like a sticky paste.
In the mixing bowl add your oil, cinnamon, egg and milk. Mix well. Then slowly add the flour as you mix until you have a thick consistency. Stir the apple paste into the mixture.
I add the apple paste last because the apples are chunky and would not allow the flour to mix well if added first. However, for banana pancakes, I add the bananas first because it is smooth.
Heat the pan (not too hot) and add the paste. Be careful not to over brown your cakes so after thirty seconds flip over.
That is all. It’s absolutely yummy!!!
I wrote these words on the first of April as I reflected on my attitude towards payback. I identified it as a syndrome because a syndrome is a condition characterized by a set of associated or concurrent symptoms.
Often times I have the urge to hold on to the wrong that others have done to me. I often feel I have to pay back in order to feel at peace and satisfied. We call it revenge. I also feel guilt for the wrong I have done to others and expect to be hurt in return. We call it karma. I am sometimes uncomfortable when someone does something good for me especially if we aren’t really close. I want to pay back the person. I do not want to be in debt to anyone and I call it independence. Sometimes I look for ways to return back the share of a lent hand given to me. I do favor people but still expect to be paid back for what I’ve done.
I am writing in the first person, in order to portray my personal experience, but this attitude is the same for someone reading this post now. You may think otherwise but have you considered this:
When God has been so good to you, you try to be good too and do all the right things. You are paying back for the good God has done and you confess, “Lord I give you my life”. But when you slip up, you realize that you may not have given a 100% of yourself and feel God will pay back and take back the goodness and the blessing he has given you.
But on this day I remembered the prodigal son. He was good and expected a reward in the form of a pay check. His father knew he deserved it and gave him everything that he was entitled to. But this boy went and spent it all and had nothing left. He had to go back to his father but this time he was expecting to be punished as a payback for being impatient, arrogant and irresponsible. He was even ready to make another deal. He prepared his speech:
“Father I know I deserve to be paid back for the wrong I did to you. But give me this second chance and I’ll pay back by being your servant”
He felt his punishment was to be stripped of his title as a son and be made a servant. But His father made a completely different remark:
“No. You owe me nothing but to be exactly who you are.”
Truly, all the offering in the world would not be enough to pay back what God has given you or me.
I considered this: even the very body that we live in was formed and created by God. One day this body will be called back to the dust and our souls will be called back to God. So even our lives are not even ours to payback with.
God does not require us to pay back anything. Instead he gave us everything in himself, his son and his Spirit. He blessed us with even the precious yet most undervalued gift of life. He doesn’t want us to be anything more than we already are which is to be love beings.
We show love in our act of service. We show love in being responsible and agile. Love doesn’t mean we don’t get angry or make rash decisions. Love doesn’t mean we aren’t sensitive or emotional. Love means we are unconditional in our attitude. We do not keep record of wrong and we appreciate the good done to us by others. It means that we also take the proactive step to be good too.
Ditch the pay back syndrome and instead fill your heart with gratitude and love.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
They had spent the past five years of their lives planning ahead from the day they would officially say I do. They had agreed on everything: what deco was needed in the house, who will do what, who was welcome to stay with them and for how long, how many children they would have, how they would spend financially and other things couples had to agree on before marrying. But nothing had prepared him for his wife’s comment on their wedding night.
“I think you we should use protection tonight babe”
“What?”
His tone wasn’t angry. He just wanted to make sure he heard right. A lot of things had already started running through his mind, like did his wife have a disease she was not telling him about? He trusted her so he was not going to be too forward. He just needed to understand.
“It’s just I’m not ready to get pregnant it’s too soon”
“Um… okay”
He waited for more explanations because even her reason was outlandish and unexpected. They must have discussed wanting to have children and when, but he did not remember discussing how long they were going to wait till that happened. He said nothing but stared at the frame of her body in the darkness of the room.
Ada had a dilemma in her own mind. She was not ready partly because she wanted to enjoy her husband but also because she had her career to think about and being pregnant now would perhaps make the climb to the top a little slow. What if she would have to quit her job? Being overly dependent on her husband wasn’t her style. Another thought that bothered her was that what would happen if when she was finally ready to have children she wouldn’t be able to. Igbo women were fertile anyway but with the uncertainty of the universe, there was a possibility that things would not go as planned. She prayed against her latter thought. But at this moment how was she going to explain this to her confused husband?
This was the exact dilemma that Ada confessed to her mother the next morning. Her husband did not take her silence lightly. There wasn’t any place to get protection at that time of the night so of course it was lights out.
The mother of the bride stared at her daughter, mouth open in disbelief, as she listened to the drama that had unfolded.
“Didn’t you discuss this during counselling?”
“Well, we did, but was thinking along this line recently.”
“And you decided to wait till after the wedding to state this?”
“I did not want him to have any doubts.”
“About what? You’re his wife!”
Ada remained silent.
“Okay let me tell you the truth and hopefully this truth will set you free.”
Ada stared at her mother.
“What you’re feeling is very normal. But it’s a feeling borne from fear and fear isn’t permitted in the life of a child of God, neither is worry. But here’s what I’ve learned and I’ll share it with you because it’s a passage that addresses all your current problems”
Her mother rose up to pull out her bible from the bedside dresser. The older woman then returned and sat by her at the foot of the bed.
She opened the little black book and read:
“Deuteronomy 28:11-13
The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
See, you’re under a new covenant and under this covenant you will be fruitful. Also under this new covenant, you will flourish.”
“You say new covenant but yet you read from the Old Testament.”
“Exactly, and that is because God’s promises are yes and Amen. Regardless of the time, he had decreed, He will bring it to pass. There isn’t any need to worry about this any further. Go home and agree with your husband. Honor him and please him. But don’t hold back because of fears, especially knowing now that your fruitfulness and prosperity have been settled long ago.”
Ada wipes away tears that have suddenly begun to slip down her chin.
“Thanks Mama.” She stretches her arm for an embrace.
^^^^^^
As we should know, in a coupled relationship, it is not just what ‘I’ want or ‘you’ want. It is what ‘We’ want. This is a difficult bridge to cross and that is why couples go through months of counselling and take time to agree together before the big balloon day. But even after all the ceremony it takes a conscious effort to make decisions together. Another lesson displayed in the story is the importance of having a spiritual partner. Either a friend, relative or mentor, you need to be open with someone. You also need as much confidence that that person’s advice will steer you in the right direction of peace and joy and not fuel your fleshy emotions. The most evident lesson is not to let fear and worry cloud your judgment on certain decisions. God’s word has the answer to whatever questions we are asking in secret. The answers may not come black and white but if we seek for his opinion on life’s most challenging situations, He is ready with an answer and with a very active support system (the Holy Spirit)
Hiii! So it’s Monday, it’s the start of a new week and I’m excited to be writing again!!!!
Where was I?
I was running. I actually battled with admitting it but I was running because it felt like what I had planned was not happening my way. Yeah, I’m stubborn and trust me it’s not a healthy living habit. But if you can relate to this please send me an email and tell me your story maybe we can share some truths.
So I’ve not had a baby before but I understand what postnatal depression feels like. When you’ve gone through so much labouring for something and when you get it you’re just too exhausted to appreciate it. (Be grateful!!)
Ayo, what are you talking about?
Firstly, one big mistake you can make is not to plan!!! Remember the saying “fail to plan and plan to fail”. Well, that was me at the beginning of the year. I actually had a plan though which was simple finish school well and get a job! Simple and straight forward but there’s also the saying “write the vision and make it plain”
So, advice no 1: write your vision and don’t just stick it on your wall. Instead meditate, plan, seek and ask.
Family is foundational. We’ve all got friends who at some point cross the boundary of just being friends to actually being like family. It’s important to appreciate those people in your life that you can speak to and that you can share with.
Pastor Tandoh ( at Heart Church, Nottingham) said these words about the importance of family:
Devotion
Distribution
Rhythm
Families are devoted to each other no matter the circumstance. They share together, materially and spiritually. They support each other. As a family, it’s not a love you today, hate you tomorrow pattern. It is a life of constant rhythm (day to day) devotion. These are the people that are there with you when you’re struggling.
So, who is your family? Who can you confess to when you have to? Who can you draw strength from?
It may feel like it’s taking you forever to recover but during that period never give up. It’s like being on life support and being aware that you’re incapable of anything at this point. It’s like being aware that the world is moving on around you but you’re stuck in your bed. It’s best to take that time to rest and build your strength, ready to fight back the moment you get on your feet. It’s about accepting your predicament and preparing a story that will encourage others like you. I was doubting a lot cause I was not doing school work for 12hours in a day. I was not moving at the pace as others were. I wasn’t getting job offers and had to manage more. But all these worries are exactly what they are- worries and comparisons.
Advice: If you believe in something so much keep fighting. We need to watch ourselves, pray, sleep, and eat. We need to connect to our source of strength if not we are going to run out and it’s going to take a while to start up again.
Follow your instincts but back it with knowledge. As an entrepreneur and what I’ve learned from marketing and innovation, drastic decisions lead to drastic failures. Even Jesus says you need to consider your options before building a house! You need to observe and have knowledge of your market before investing in it. Sometimes it’s like you want to be the first one in, you’re so positive and so sure and you pick a scripture to back it up! You can follow your instinct for something but you need to be armed with as much knowledge to go after it if not you might just be setting yourself up to fail. Bishop TD Jakes explains this in his book, ‘Instincts’.
My experience with this came when I invested some money in a business that I thought was profitable. I had seen pictures online of people rocking the native attire abroad and I wanted to sell. I wanted to do business. But on getting there the weather won’t even let me wear my own native attire, how much more the customers I was seeking to capture.
Whatever you’re planning to do, research and research and ask questions.
I’m taking this platform to tell you to plan ahead. You don’t have to carry the burden alone, that’s why you’ve got family. There is hope to fight another day because life is a process and all you need to do is to connect to your source of strength. Lastly, be prepared!
It’s never easy to admit that you didn’t do well at something but a friend told me “write to heal”. When you’re healed you have the strength to fight another day. Never take your healing process for granted no matter how long it takes.
Shalom!!!! Fix an appointment with me every Monday!! It’s a promise and if I go missing send me an email
Here I am wide awake and in the dark. The same line playing in my mind over and over again. The same thought. I do not know if I am going crazy but I am most certainly going to die…soon…if I do not do something. My husband is sound asleep beside me. He is so peaceful and handsome. He is so loving. God bless him for waiting for me and for being patient for 60 years. Yes, I am freak’n 85 years old and I cannot even believe myself. Why am I still alive, what’s really my purpose? My husband seems to have one and I can’t stop myself from thinking that I am the reason he has not fulfilled that purpose. But that is my purpose right, as his wife, to help him fulfil his.
Sigh.
The only plan I can come up with now means I’ll have to give up my position for someone else. That will only prove my love for him, right?
I wish someone will answer my questions.
I know just the right person and am I wrong for already despising her. She is beautiful, hardworking and loyal. She knows my husband and she knows me. But what if she actually gets pregnant, what will happen to me? I know that’s kind of the point but I don’t think I can bear the humiliation. To know that it is actually me that has a problem-that I am barren.
So why am I here? What is my purpose, Lord? To be humiliated? But I am humble, right? I mean, I am willing to give up everything even my pride and position to fulfil your will.
Who said God needed help? Silence
At the first break of light, I am going to make haste. He might not like it but he won’t say no. The moment I bring her before him. He’s a man. Yeah sadly he’s a man and he won’t be able to say no because she’s so beautiful. And I am old.
I’ll wake her and say “You have lived with us since your birth. We have fed you and clothed you. We have trained your hands to work and we taught you to fear God. Now you will do this thing for me, Hagar, you will give my husband a son.”
The thought of it makes me want to throw-up. But what if he refuses and doesn’t take her. That will just increase my guilt. If I died maybe he would feel better.
Stop Thinking.
It is easier to runway from the truth and just keep living like nothing matters but eventually it does and you begin to question the purpose of life. It is at this time that some seek God. It is at this time that some take their life out of frustration. But me, I’m not doing any. I am trying to find a solution myself. I will probably fail. God never does it quickly and taking my life is cowardice. And right now my attitude is plain pride.
I am tired of pondering this path. I’ve been on it too long and God and my husband have been good enough to me. I Feel like I do not deserve it anymore. Yeah the pity. I cannot differentiate it from love anymore.
EXODUS 23:26- AND NONE WILL MISCARRY OR BE BARREN IN YOUR LAND. I WILL GIVE YOU A FULL LIFE SPAN
How does it feel to be without a child for so long?
What can you do to overcome the trying period?
Have you been in a similar position what is your advice?
Are you still in a similar position what is your strength?
I remember talking to an older friend who had a baby and I remembered her expressions and description of the process. A lot of procedures go into delivery and sometimes it can be a painful one. But there is also this feeling of joy and hope. From an African background, for ones family to be satisfied with the cries of a baby is peace enough. A lot of women are disrespected for their conditions. More troubling is what women go through in their mind just to see their families happy. I called this untouched because a barren woman has not experienced the mix of pain and joy. She has not experienced the child moving around in her womb. For some the miracle is around the corner and others have moved on from the thought. This story is reaching out to women in this struggle. Also this story is about purpose. For a single person, the physical reward of a life well served can be a struggle if not received when expected. We begin to question and doubt our faith and purpose in life. We begin to feel that matters should be handled by our own hands. But eventually we fail. ‘Life is not a sprint, it is a marathon.’ With hard work comes perseverance.
HAPPY NEW YEAR once again! This is officially the first post this year and if you are new I welcome you!!! I am really humbled because I’ll be kicking off the year with an award I got nominated for by my dear friend Seun. She also has a blog ganaijachic so please do visit her page.
I was so excited about the ‘Mystery Blogger Award’ but like every award, there is a lot attached to it and I accept the challenge!!!!!
So I want to, first of all, thank ganaijachic for this award and I also want to acknowledge the founder of the award Okota Enigma for thinking of something like this. It is a way to inspire bloggers even as they inspire others.
WHAT IS MYSTERY BLOGGER AWARD?
“Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging, and they do it with so much love and passion. – Okoto Enigma
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
Put the award logo/image on your blog
List the rules.
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
You have to nominate 10 – 20 people
Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
Share a link to your best post(s)
SO…….to Rule Number 5!
3 THINGS ABOUT MYSELF
I am a foodie but not in the way you think. I just like staring at good food. Is that weird?
Giphy.com
I love babies- under the age of two. If you’re 3 years old and above you are technically a mature child.
Gipgy.com
And I love to sing because I love to worship God. (I Just think Michelle Obama is cool)
Giphy.com
This is a list of people that inspire me, that I want to encourage and that I associate with. And the nominees are…..
Seun asked some questions that I want to address before listing mine.
I was asked:
1) Weird Question: If I appeared right in front of you right now, what would your first word be?
A: Hey Girl!
2) Favorite song at the moment and why?
A: ‘Like Oil‘ it’s about giving total praise to God regardless of how crazy one might look because God is wiser than the foolishness of man and he deserves all our praise!!!!!
3) What are your ‘can’t do without’ items?
A: My Phone *tears
4) One word that describes you.
A: Beautiful
5) What’s your blogging motivation?
A: Don’t give up cause someone’s life depends on your words of encouragement and inspiration
Now my questions for my nominees……
What motivated you to start a blog
Blogging secret
What is your advice for me!
Vision 2017
Imagine your eye colour was an acronym what will it mean?
Last post of the year is out!!!!. Can’t believe it’s just 2 days left and it’s been a whole 363 days. Wow God is good! Cough* let me preach small!
It’s been a wonderful and fulfilling year. What I’ve learnt right is that God has me exactly where he wants me to be. We all make plans and sometimes it’s happens and sometimes it doesn’t work out. As Long as Oluwa is involved there is no such thing as failure or defeat. There is just a time for everything, a time to be prepared, a time to be patient. God always wants us to be ready and be prepared but it doesn’t mean we are the ones fighting the battle. On many occasions the Israelites where armed and ready but it wasn’t the drawing of their sword that won the battle. It was mostly their praise, the lifting up of their hands and the presence of God. 2016 started great. The middle year started showing off some challenges and the latter was life trying to snuff out the little light of hope we had going. But it’s a lie and an illusion because the word says “the glory of the latter will be greater than the past glory”
2 days to go but I believe there’s a miracle round the corner for someone. I believe there’s a miracle in store for my nations. I believe there is trouble and confusion round the corner for our enemies and I believe there is victory for everyone on the Lord’s side.
My 2016 sixteen miracles where awesome:
2 of the teachers in my class and teenage department in church both dedicated their babies. Everyone safe and everyone full of joy.
It’s been such a pleasure this year working with the teenagers at RCCG City of Joy, Nigeria. They’re such a blessing. It was good to just pour out all I know to these children and to be an instrument of God and of peace for them. Even joining choir for the short time I did- I just know they’re missing me 😂
My writing took a great turn this year. Tried something new with screen writing and was rewarded by BETA association. 😍 and I believe God is using this blog platform to bless people. I cannot even skip out to announce I actually recorded two songs. They aren’t out yet cause school carried me away but hopefully 2017 wouldn’t pass me by.
Mum finally started working for herself and has started account auditing for private organizations and has started baking (she makes lovely carrot cake, orders on me lol)
Dad is as fabulous as always and is an excellent Pastor and Engineer recognized by international bodies and writing stuff that are too long for me to read. I think I got my writing skills from him.
So many testimonies! So many people I’ve met and some I have accepted into my life after holding them at arms length for so long.
Just thank God for his growth and for you reading this right now!!!!
That was the first thing I thought as I read over the chapter of Wisdom. How could a man so wise say things that made absolutely no sense? Or am I the foolish one? There was one thing I could relate to however and it was the fact that everything is meaningless. And it is! But………without God. God is the one who gives everything in life a meaning. No matter how we choose to define it for ourselves there is only so far we can get to and not look mad like Solomon. Wisdom is unsearchable and like Job said the only definition for wisdom is in the fear of God. Life isn’t so tough but it is the way we have defined it by our own perspective that makes it appear so. If Jesus said he has come to give us life and that we should have it abundantly then it must definitely not be a bad thing. God looked at everything and said it was good. How would all these things, the mountains and the trees; the fishes in the seas, be meaningless? How could technology and white collar jobs be meaningless? It might be meaningless because we cannot fathom God’s purpose. Gosh! Now I hope I don’t sound disillusioned.
Worldly Wisdom + Overthinking= Tough Life
Vs 28- This only I have found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes”
Life may seem tough right now because you are going in search of many schemes (which can mean anything to you). I personally do not know what you’re searching for. I know one thing that is common to all and that is the search for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We want to live long and live better. We want to enjoy the moments of our lives. We want to go to Mars! Never satisfied and always pressing on. We think we know it all. We want to make a difference. We want to dominate. There is nothing wrong with desiring the best. What is wrong is that whatever we seek to achieve outside of God is corrupted. We will only meet with worrisome results. The purpose of life is to:
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and every other thing shall be added unto you.”
-Matthew 6:33
Let me share my personal experience with you. I had all these questions about wisdom and purpose. I was frustrated that my questions were not quite answered. For how many years now it seemed like I was still searching. You could say I was in search of many schemes. While waiting for service to start in church, I read Ecclesiastes 7. I was going to read anyway at home but because I had spare time I just decided to read through. So like I said earlier I thought Solomon was mad! His wisdom probably made him go knots. But during the service, while our youth pastor was preaching, she said something that I linked to Solomon’s words:
“If you have gotten to the end of your journey then you should be in heaven! But because you are still here on earth then you are still growing, there is still so much to do. Don’t worry about who you are and how God is going to use you, all you have to say is yes.”
In other words figuring everything out is not the way to get through life because you cannot. It is definitely not wisdom. Trying to do this only brings you to the point where life is tough and meaningless. All you have to say is yes to God. All we have to do is:
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and every other thing shall be added unto you.”
-Matthew 6:33
Sometimes you can feel you are running out of time and you have not accomplished so much that you want to. But just like there’s time for everything, there is also time for everyone. The time God called Joshua is completely different from when God called Samuel. The circumstances of Moses was completely different from that of Elisha. While some are running from their purpose some are earnestly chasing after it. Don’t be too much in a rush, trust that God’s timing is the best. Be patient and be prepared so that when the trumpet sounds you will be ready to seize the opportunity. That is the trumpet of your destiny but there is also the trumpet of your life. You have to know what you are living for on earth so that you will know what you will receive after your time here on earth.
The conclusion of the matter is that true wisdom comes from fearing God. Fearing God and seeking him is a clear path to fulfilling destiny. Your destiny does not end here on earth but in Heaven.
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Scripture:
“God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells……….And he said to the human race, ‘The fear of the Lord- that is wisdom……” Job 28:23; 28 (NIV)
“…….I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” John:10:10 (ESV)
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)
