Looking Ahead

Looking Ahead

I set your promises
Before my eyes
And every day you give me
Is a step towards these things;

I shall not turn back
I shall not relent
I shall not be deterred
By the time and space
Between now and tomorrow;

So I thank you for today
The proof that makes me know
I have left a day behind
And I am a day towards your promise;

Yes I thank you for today
That I can hope and dream
And be assured that with you
Tomorrow will come.

So I run with your word.

Some thoughts for the season...

Beloved,

A New Year lies ahead of you. Enjoy this festive season, thanking God for how far He has taken you. Maybe you hoped to achieve much more this year. Maybe you thought most of your dreams will be realized this year. Maybe He exceeded your expectations this year. Whatever the case may be, do not forget that The Blessing upon your life is forever. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Also remember that His ways are not your ways , He is not time bound and He makes everything beautiful in its time.

Please keep His promises in your heart. Meditate on them (not worry about them). And if you have a word from God, Run With It (Please click the link to read about running with His word).

Please take out time to read the message “Three Thoughts for The Season”.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Favour-filled New Year.

Bible References: James 1:17, Isaiah 55:8 and Ecclesiastes 3:11.

Cute Lessons

Children are so adorable and interesting to be with. It was from them I learnt that people do not learn bad. It is inborn just as good is inborn. Let me give you an example. I was with a friend’s one-year old son, a boy that just learnt how to start walking. Let’s call him Cute. He still holds the stools and chairs as he walks. That day, I had my phone charging somewhere in the living room. Cute liked the blue light blinking on the charger. He made several attempts to reach the charger but I warned him not to go near the charger for his safety. He did not cry or get angry with me. When I was engulfed by a Nigerian movie, Cute crept behind the chairs, stealthily, using a long unsuspecting route to get to the charger. Thank God for my side eye and back eye. I caught him just before he put his tiny finger into the socket.

How did he know that he should wait for me to start watching Nigerian movie before he creeps behind the chairs?

Anyway, Cute left me wondering about something that day. Sometime later, he was playing with my phone when it rang. I asked him to give it to me. Now, I knew he was not an experienced walker. He had the phone in one hand. If he had to stand, first he needed his two hands to lift himself up. But he did not want to release the phone. He found it difficult standing up. He crept a little and helped himself up with my feet, then my legs, stood up and attempted walking towards me. I saw the effort he put in trying to reach me. I so loved him at that moment. I reached out to him and helped him walk towards me. Then I lifted him up and swung him the way he enjoys.

For that moment many questions surfaced my head. Is that how God sees us His children? Does He know sometimes we find it difficult taking on new experiences? Does He see our efforts and is moved by our small determinations? Is He so eager to draw near to us as we draw near to Him? Does He get so excited when we rely and trust in Him ? Does He love us so much that He seizes every opportunity to help us? Does He so desire to lift us up and take us to heights we have never imagine? Do you have answers to these questions?

It takes faith, courage and trust to reach out to Him in every situation. But believe me, not only is He continually trying to reach out to us, He is too eager to touch us in that way that makes all the difference.

Remain blessed and compliments of the season.

The Tanker Driver

I used to have one thing called Tankerphobia. It started because of a story my mother said that before I was born. She said a tanker came running into them directed at her (or me). She made me believe that it wanted to prevent me from being (I think I have blogged about this sometime in the past). Having that fear, I never wanted to drive. After managing to learn how to drive, I had a couple of episodes with tanker drivers. I have had a smashed booth, destroyed side mirrors and cars that panel-beating could not restore because of tanker drivers. I have even pursued a tanker driver with barefoot.

On this fateful day when I was trying my driving skills in Lagos, I came to a junction that led to an expressway. Cars were zooming past at alarming speeds. I told myself that probably a handsome man will slow down for me when I flash or one of those expensive jeeps that do not want to be jammed will slow down when I make a move. 15 minutes past. To my disappointment, neither male nor female, handsome or agbero, jeep or moto, okada or bicycle stopped for me. I was still flashing and trafficating.

I spotted a tanker driver coming with high speed. I immediately stopped flashing and trafficating so he would not know I was interested in entering the expressway. Quickly I reversed small incase it occurred to him to do what I have known them to do. I prayed for the tanker driver to pass quickly so I could continue my flashing and begging, or wait for the expressway to be free (indeed!).

To my astonishment, the tanker driver stopped and flashed me, indicating that I should go ahead. That is not all; his assistant stopped the cars coming behind them so I could have the road to myself. I quickly took advantage of the opportunity and drove back to my destination joyfully.

Maybe God was trying to tell me to change my thinking. Or maybe He was showing me some things I should not have done…

1) I prejudged. Is there someone who is prejudging like I did? You feel you know so much about this person, this opportunity, this situation, what ever you call it, and as such you do not want to take it? What seems like it is no so good might end up being too good to be true.
2) I withdrew because of what I knew in the past. Is there someone out there, like me, who is afraid to step into the future because of something that happened in the past? It is time to let go, says the spirit of God. A better future is waiting for you.

Like the fruit of the palm kernel, the sweetest part of it is encased within the core of a hard shell that does not look too nice.

My prayer for myself and anyone that is in this position is that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened to see opportunities no matter what our past says, to heed the inner voice of our hearts, and to be ready to move into the great future awaiting us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Bible Reference: 2 Cor 5: 17 (KJV) Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Our very own Visual Arts and Literature Event

Guess what’s happening on Saturday, 13th Dec, 2008? Our very own Visual Arts and Literature Event presented by FARAFINA. The flyer below says it all. For me the catch was “Admission is Free”. I read from bottom up :-)

My beloved people, hope to see you at this event. It sounds so exciting and thrilling. I can barely wait for the date.

If you want some info from Farafina Magazine's blogosphere, please visit The Farafinist.

Pondering on the breakup – I believe in God

I almost said
This affair is over
I almost said
I cannot do it anymore:

I wanted to turn my back on Him
And go back to where I was coming from
Yes I knew life without Him is hell
But then I assumed accepting my fate could see me through;

But the circumstance
Opened my eyes
To see that I did not love Him
As much as I professed
Nor as much as He loved me,
Then I saw clearly
That my foundation was not solidly built on Him;

I suddenly realized why my relationships failed:
When the going was good
It was easy to love so much
But at the smell of a trial
I walked away;

I quickly forgot the good times we shared
How much He blessed me
How He saved my life
How He has given me a second chance
How much He loves me
That not even my flaws could separate me from His love;

So as I pondered on the breakup
I recalled those times when I stumbled and fell
When I sinned over and over
Especially the same sins I had prayed about
And when I thought there was no hope for me
His Grace was made perfect in my weakness

Whilst pondering on the breakup
He saved me from an accident
Reminding me that He was not yet done with me
That I will live to overcome the trial

Still pondering on the breakup
My life 2 years ago flashed before me
I could have sworn it was not the same person
If not for the mark on my forehead
That reminds me only God can save a baby
Who fell off a 3-storey building

So I knelt down beside my bed
And wept
Cursing the source of such thoughts
Yet making my resolve
That I will love Him whether good or bad
That I will not stop praising and trusting Him
That I will continue to build my foundation on Him;

My Sweet, Loving God and Father
This love affair is forever
Because

I believe in God.