Thank you…

Yesterday made it exactly two months since my darling aunty passed, and it still feels like one day she’ll knock on the door and all of this would have been a huge, cruel joke.

I miss her like crazy, everything still screams her, but I’m learning to be grateful for the times we had, the things she taught me, and the fact that she’s resting in the bosom of the Lord, far above any type of pain at this time.

I thought about her all day yesterday, and when I got tired of listening to Michael Kiwanuka‘s ‘I’ll get along’, I thought I’d write a bit, say a big thank you to people who have been there for me in this period; this time of great grief and sorrow. People in whose arms I’ve cried, in whose words i have comfort and solace, in whose prayers I’ve found strength – people whose friendship I don’t deserve, but I have been fortunate to have been blessed with.

To Olamide Craig who missed a day of school that Monday morning, came over, stayed with me (spent literally the entire day) and only left after I had slept, God bless you. This our friendship sha! Made in heaven ke nan!

To Ace, rockstar! You have been there through all of this, up to when you had to scold me to get it together, I saw your love (and worry) right through. Thank you!

To  my bestie of life and destiny, Miss Wumi Raji! Even though you were dealing with a tragedy of your own, you still found time to check on me, worry about me, tease me, even insult me sef! Love you to the moon and back babe!

To Nike Coker, a friend who is closer than a sister, I love you!!! I won’t ever forget you showing up on the day of the funeral, straight from the airport sef! Whatever did I do to deserve your friendship? God bless you for me o! Massive hugs to Bukky and Tony who showed up to be there for me because you asked them to. God bless you guys loads and loads.

To a friend and boss, Chude, thank you. Who else gives their staff two months off work? When we were in hospital, when she passed, I didn’t have to worry about my work suffering, because you let me off anyway. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. How many times can I say that really?

To Zoey, of the tapestry treasures blog, whoop! What would I have done without you? We’ve never met but at some point I could hear you talking to me just by the comments you were leaving on my posts! God bless you for all the words of encouragement, the prayers, the personal stories you shared, I’m more than grateful! Thank you Zoey…

To Matilda (daughter of Zion ke nan), Anino (whatever would I do without you), my iBlend family, buddies on social media, people everywhere who showered love and affection, who called, who prayed, who sent messages, who still check to see that we’re all holding up ok.

God bless you.

Thank you.

PICKING THE PIECES

When God created Adam and Eve, one of the things He told them was to replenish the earth (that’s the only portion of the Bible people who have seven or more children read in my opinion). Seriously though, He told them to have dominion over every thing that walked, swam, crawled, or flew. We all know the bit about Adam falling, and Jesus dying on the cross to save man from his sins, reunite us with the Father (God), and guarantee us a place in heaven. Following me up to this point?

Jesus death on the cross also restored our dominion to us, restored the ability we had (and Adam lost) to take charge of his surroundings, situations around him, etc. That’s why children of God can speak to issues around them and they obey.

Same thing happens today. When we make mistakes, when we fall, God sits and waits for us to come back to Him. He sits and waits patiently for us to bring our battered, bruised selves back, and He receives us each time. He sanctifies us, forgives us, and then releases grace for us not to fall into the same mistakes again. Do you know the marvelous bit? Even if we fall the very next day, He’ll do the same thing for us all over again, picking up our pieces. Why? Because He is God, greater than the greatest, the most terrible and yet the most merciful. What else can He do but love us, feed us, and never leave us?

We are warned however, not to abuse that right so we don’t lose it. A little story here: so I have a seven year old nephew, and I adore him. When he was younger, say about five, he loved to come into my room without knocking on the door. He’d do it every time. And each time he barged into the room, if he noticed the frown on my face (cos sometimes I’d be frowning and the little one wouldn’t even notice), he’d apologize, go outside and knock before coming in again. Guess what? Give him 15 minutes, and if he had to come to me for anything, this scene would repeat itself.

One particular day I was on the phone and the little prince bounced into the room. I gave him ‘the look’ so he smiled, left, and knocked before coming in. I hugged him and then asked him to go bring his homework. Of course he forgot to knock. He apologized, and we started on work. When he went to get his eraser, he forgot, and tumbled in again. By the time he forgot the 300th time I told him not to bother apologizing.

When I started writing this post I remembered that day and how at some point I snapped. What if God snapped and literally told us to stop with the apologies and cries for forgiveness? What would you do? Are you thanking God that he’s not us?

Do you think of that when someone offends you and you think you’ll never forgive? Or you’ll forgive but you’ll never forget? I doubt we’re thinking of God and how He forgives us when we’re seething with anger, sobbing in disappointment or shaking our heads in pain. At that point all we’re thinking about is how to exact immediate revenge, or plan towards it (since it is a dish best served cold)….

Unforgiveness is like picking at a sore you have every morning; it won’t heal, and you won’t feel better. When you bump into the person your heart starts doing cartwheels because you have ‘ought’ in your heart for them. So unhealthy!

Let’s take a minute, and tell ourselves, ” I forgive….. (put in their names) who offended me. I realize that harboring unforgiveness in my heart is harmful to my health (physically and mentally), and I value my well-being more than this altercation. Whether or not I will give them another chance will be purely based on if I think they will hurt me again and not because I am upset with them. I love my life, and I will be happy. So help me God.

Did we mean what we just said? Are we confident that we’ve forgiven them? Well done!!

Hugs!

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THANK YOU LORD!!!

Ok! Before I say anything, can you put both hands up and say a big thank you to our ever faithful God for the privilege of another day? For countless journeys and His mercies that attend each trip, for the seemingly mundane things like waking up every day, eating the food digesting without any issues, the gift of air (and the ability to breathe unaided) that He gives without fail everyday, the functional brain, heart, and organs we’ve got, I could go on and on and on!! This God is merciful o!!!

Today’s chronicle is a testimony that happened this morning. Seriously. And I want you to read, and join me in appreciating this great God!

I spent the night at Wumi’s house because my flatmate has to be away for a few days and as much as I love the Broadway house I hate sleeping alone in a building. And the house is big!

So I slept at Wumi’s, we woke up early because she had to go to work and I had to run through a lot on my to-do list (books, culinary, laundry), before night/end of the day.

Walking home, there’s a T junction I have to cross which I always dread (today was no exception) especially there’s no ‘pedestrian help’ (I don’t know the name of that thing but I’m sure you get the idea). Anyways, so I approached the road as cautiously as always. Listening to MI and Waje‘s ‘One Naira’ on my iPod, I looked left, right, and then left again. Abi? All clear, so I crossed.

I forgot to mention that it’s a two-lane road, going and coming. There was a truck blocking my view from seeing the other lane but honestly I had seen a bus parked at the bus stop (effectively stopping any other car from moving past it) and of course there was the truck on my side, caught in traffic. Also, I had seen the line of people waiting to board the bus and calculated that it would be enough time for me to cross the road. Again, meant all clear abi?

I entered the road, and next I saw was the terrifying red of the bus inches away from me. How he pressed the brakes, how I got over my initial stunned state and got to the sidewalk, I will never know. I do remember running of course, but I also remember thinking, ‘this is it’.

Thank you Jesus from the bottom of my heart for keeping me, for not letting my family and friends mourn. Thank you for preserving me, and thank you for the privilege of another day!!!

Home safe, sound but still very shaken, it’s time to go have another bath. Why? I just noticed that I peed on myself. *sigh*

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OVERCOMING SIN BY THE BLOOD

I’m sure you might be wondering about the new attitude to the chronicles on this blog; I know, I feel like I’m doing great too! Basically, I think it’s because I’ve got some free time now, and I’m also trying to satisfy you so much that when I get to Nigeria and get too busy (not like I can ever get too busy for you), you’ll remember these happy periods!

Ok, today’s post is from a sermon by my Papa in Abuja, Bishop David Abioye! I actually was in church when he preached this message sometime in late 2009 but when I asked my darling sister to send me Mp3’s with messages, one of them had this sermon! I listened to it on one of ‘those days’, and below I have reproduced my notes,. Be blessed as you read! Err, and I hope you went to church today!

*All scriptures are taken from King James Version of the Bible*

OVERCOMING SIN BY THE BLOOD

Sin is worldliness, and worldliness is made up of these three:

1. the lust of the flesh – Galatians 5:19-21
2. the lust of the eyes
3. the pride of life – 2 Tim 3:1-5

1John 5:17 “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.” All unrighteousness is sin – anything I cannot share a testimony about or do in public; anything I do/say/think that is wrong is sin.

Colossians 3:3 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

2Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Hebrews 12:4 “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

• I must resist sin with the same intensity I resist sickness, poverty, and unpleasant circumstances. How do you resist sin? By engaging the power of your will!

Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live”

Genesis 39:8-9 “But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what [is] with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand//[There is] none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou [art] his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

There are three dimensions to the Blood of Jesus:

• The Speaking Blood – when I am confronted by evil thoughts, desires ideas, I can plead the Blood. Hebrews 12:24 “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.”
• The Sprinkling Blood – I can sprinkle the blood and purge my conscience. Hebrews 9:12 – 14 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]//For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh://How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
• The Drinking Blood (the communion) – partaking of the flesh and blood of Jesus not only ensures that the life of Jesus is continually infused into mine, wiping anything in me that doesn’t please Him. John 6:53 “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”

What The Blood Of Jesus Does/Can Do For Me

• The Blood of Jesus is my ticket of redemption. Colossians 3:13-14. Revelations 5:9. Ephesians 1:7-9
• The Blood cleanses. 1John 1:7
• The Blood purges (from stubborn characters, besetting sins, etc). James 4:6, 1Peter 5:8

I pray that as you administer the Blood of Jesus (whichever way you need it), it answers for you in Jesus name, amen!

That’s it! Do you have anything you want to share with us? That’s what the comments section is for!

P:S – I didn’t write out all the scriptures because I didn’t want the post to get too long, and also because I hoped you’d reach for your Bible to do some reading for yourself!

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MAN’S JOURNEY TO GOD

So exactly three weeks ago Captain invited me to his church, Elshaddai International Christian Center, and I said I’d go, especially since Pastor Creflo Dollar would be ministering! We picked a second friend from New Street Station and rushed to the church, about 10 minutes late. The service and message are the thrust of this chronicle; all scriptures are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

To start with, I love their choir! Wow! Melody.com.net.co.uk.anything else you want to put there! You know when, even if you didn’t want to worship, you just find yourself doing so? That’s what great, heartfelt music can do to/for you. Plus they all looked beautiful, if my memory serves me right they all had a touch of pink on.

After the Pastor welcomed the first timers, Pastor Dollar climbed the podium, and I must confess he really looks fit! I mean, I’ve been hearing of him since I was a child and I’ve got some odd 20 years on my watch and he still looks like this? Let’s digress a bit, have you noticed that men of God have this youthful look despite their ages? Look at Daddy Adeboye; I was at Festival of Life in April and my friend reminded me that he would hit 70 this year and I was like wow! Talk about God ‘renewing their strength like that of the eagle’.

Back to the service, Pastor Dollar’s message was titled, ‘Man’s Journey To God’. Welcome to church dear reader, get your bible and pen out! He started by saying “comparing your situation with someone else’s belittles the process/miracle God took you through to get there”. Meaning that if you have a Honda Civic and all you’re interested in is your friends’ Armada you are not only ungrateful, you’re making a mockery of whatever lifting God enabled you to have to get that car. Get it?

1 Peter 2:2 -“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”

• the journey to God will be filled with opportunities  for progress and development. Giving your life to Christ doesn’t automatically mean you’re ‘there’. It’s a process.; don’t neglect the process trying to get to the prize. It is foolhardy to look at someone in the faith and desire to be where they are without following the steps they’ve taken to get there.
• Growth and development are necessary, heaven is only for overcomers! It is in over coming of a thing that promotion comes so if you cry/run away every time a challenge comes you will remain on the same spot! You better believe that quitting is not an option.
• Difference between growth and development: growth is a natural, gradual process, like a baby growing up into an adult. Development requires effort, pressure, like a guy trying to get his abs ripped, or a person trying to master a skill.

Phil 1:6,9 – “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ/And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment“

• God is committed to your development. Your attitude to any challenge you face should be seeing it as another opportunity to triumph and further develop yourself and thank God for the opportunity already! A way to do that is not to get comfortable with wherever you are; look for opportunities to develop yourself
• The devil doesn’t trouble any christian who isn’t a threat to him, so you best be worried if there are no trials, temptations or challenges coming your way!
• Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping someone else dies. (Insert narrative) – I was very touched by that word, especially since at the time I had just heard of some stuff a ‘friend’ had done behind my back and I was trying not to show how upset I was even though I was literally roasting inside! I have since let it go, truth is now I can’t be bothered, I really can’t. (Narrative over)
• Pastor Dollar also said that we have to practise loving stuff that isn’t lovely to perfect our love.

James 1:3-4 – “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” ⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Ephesians 4: 11-15 – “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Pastor Dollar said there are three stages of spiritual development

1. Babyhood: they are innocent (no past), ignorant, irritable.
2. Childhood: unsteady/unreliable, curious (always getting into other people’s business). They are also talkative which is further divided into evil speaking (talking about the faults and failures of others), vain speaking (always talking about themselves) , and foolish speaking (babbling about any and everything)!
3. Manhood: the point when you esteem spiritual things higher than the natural

Romans 13: 1-12

Pastor Dollar also had something to say about church members who feel it is their place to ‘correct’ their ministers:

• God will handle the moral failures of his servants, it’s none of my business! He appoints all existing rulers (spiritual and otherwise). To rebel against constituted authority is to rebel against God and there’s always a punishment for that. Numbers 30: 1-8 (read in your time). There is freedom in submission but bondage in rebellion.

Deuteronomy 24: 3 -4

Mark 10:3-5

You can listen to the message for yourself here http://www.elshaddai.org.uk/messages/mansjourneytogod.mp3 and I’ll end with his final word, and mine to you too: an excuse is just another nail to build a house of failure so quit making excuses for where you are, and start doing something about it!

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