My Life in Red and White

Picture from: https://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/kintsugi Broken Vessels! Broken Vessels!! Collecting them for my Master's use Bring not one, Bring not a few Collecting them for His grand design. Broken, cracked, shattered, worthless... The Master has need of them, your price He'll pay. Whatever you seek in exchange for these, He's willing in equity to give your due. A due not fit to some, but best for all For no broken vessel is without hope. Picture from http://www.herotowngeelong.com.au/using-kintsugi-to-see-the-beauty-in-failure/ We'll search the dumps and scavenge through pits We'll walk this earth for our calling it is to every broken vessel find and the Master with them unite. For broken we once were, Broken, yes.. Until the Master's touch we felt Now standing in the beauty of his touch, Our cracks outlined and filled with gold For He the restorer of bridges and the repairer of walls, Our Master JEHOVAH is H...

This is my second 'Song Alert' blog post 💃💃.  Today, I stumbled on this song by Hillsong, as usual, the words in the song have ministered to me and I hope that they do the same to you. The song reminds me that we go through seasons in our lives, these seasons may change us, but it doesn't change our GOD. It doesn't change  His promises to us. We are all going through a process of growth and at the end of each season, we are renewed in HIM.  Listening to this song, i'm reminded of the following scriptures: “For there is hope for a tree—if it’s cut down, it sprouts again and grows tender, new branches.  8-9 Though its roots have grown old in the earth, and its stump decays, it may sprout and bud  again at the touch of water, like a new seedling. (Job 14: 7-9 TLB) Everything is appropriate in its own time. But though God has planted eternity in the hearts of men, even so, many cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. ( Ecc...

"And blessed  is  she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." Luke 1:45 (KJV) "Now therefore, O LORD God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever and do as You have spoken," 2 Samuel 7:25 (NASB) Has the Lord given you a word?  Has it been fulfilled?  Hold on to His word in faith until it is fulfilled.  Give Him praise for fulling his word in your life. Be thankful and bless his name until you see it come to pass.  Mary heard the angel speak to her and he informed her of things to come. She believed, and there was a performance of the words that were spoken. David heard the words of God spoken to him through God's prophet and revealed to him by prophecy. He believed and prayed for its fulfillment.  Many times we receive a word from God, through revelation or through prophecy. What do we do with these words? Let's hold on t...

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11) "The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness." (Psalm 145:8) NASB "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." (Psalm 103:8) "Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;" (Exodus 34:6) I've been thinking for a few years about doing blog posts on songs that I'm listening to at a particular time; songs that have ministered to me in a particular season and helped me walk through some though times - but it's just been a thought.  Today, I decided to start that first blog post on these songs. For lack of creativity or bursting ingenuity, I'll call these posts 'Song Alert'. So to...

T here remains therefore a rest for the people of God. Hebrews 4:9 Sitting at home and listening to the rain pouring down, the winds howling and the thunder blasting, seeing the lighting crack the dark skies, I am reminded of the state of my heart. Trouble, rumblings, worries, decisions... my storm raging inside a worse picture of that outside my window. Then a word drops in my heart ... "there remaineth a rest". And I am reminded, that there is more to life than worries and sorrows, there is more than excitement and motion, sometimes in focusing on 'doing' we loose sight of who God has called us to 'be'. There may be situations of conflict, turmoil, storms raging within and without... but this promise we have from God, that 'there is a rest for the the people of God'.  This rest is provided for us by God and we choose to enter it... a place of ceasing from all our 'works', from 'doing'; a place of transition to that state of ...

I love my devotional. It's outdated and filled with christian virtues people no longer pursue. It focuses on building strength of character as a christian, dependence on God and complete trust in His will. This is really what I need for daily survival in today's world. But I also love the fact that God uses my dear old devotional to speak to me in amazing ways that are so relevant.  Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend about being at my 'wits end' and so I was going to hand everything over to God. She looked at me, smiled, and said,  'isn't that what God really wants?'  'For us to hand over things to Him from the beginning? and not wait until we run out of steam?'  I smiled back and wondered. Really wondered for a while at her words and the truth behind the simple questions.  We are taught to be independent as children. Raised in a manner that we can 'stand' on our own. Be independent in thought... question, critique, find ou...

Somewhere between the sand dunes and the ocean waves my heart cried out to you. Somewhere between the motions of daily life and the quest for something greater. Somewhere in the middle of trying to find my balance, They say 'it's out there'... but I've been searching for it for a while. Somehow, I needed a break and I went in search of it. Boa Vista... 48 hours of bliss! Lounging on the beach, walking in the sand dunes. Wondering, walking, wandering... Like those diving for lost treasure, in my heart somewhere is a treasure I've lost sight of. A treasure, I had lost sight of. My vision, askew. My focus, dim. A treasure, I had lost sight of. Wondering, walking, wandering.... I called out to You. My heart longed for you, this priceless treasure, the connection I had with you, to hear your voice, To see your face, To walk with you To wonder at you To wander with you To be lost in your awe and wonder. And so my heart called out to you, from its d...

A new year begins,  I have an idea, an outlook, a projection of what the future holds... The year unfolds and slowly and steadily, the picture unraveling differs from what I imagined. Good times, bad times, more good times than bad? I've lost count! Laughter, tears, friends lost, friends gained, friends 're-gained'... Rain, Sun, Snow, Heat! Sun, more heat!!  Happy memories, sad memories, and days that just went by. The year keeps unfolding, and I discover every morning that my projections and plans maybe somehow far from my present reality but it doesn't stop me from dreaming....  I won't stop hoping, I won't stop projecting. Through the rainy days I learnt a valuable lesson - thinking of the sunny days ahead helped me get through. I refused to focus on what was around me, I chose to think of the bright days ahead. Most mornings, I reflected on Jeremiah 29: 11  " For I know the thoughts  and  plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts...

Growth! It happens when you are not aware. One morning, you realize that the things that once had power over you no longer have a hold. You wonder how you got here, but you can't place the exact moment it happened. Growth! Suddenly you are stronger, Suddenly you are wiser, Suddenly you become aware of the strengths you possess. The many times you thought you'd die, you won't survive this, But you got back up again, One foot ahead of the other, and made it through another storm, another dark night, and another... Growth! Sometimes, it happens when you're not aware, Then you are grateful for the rain. the fire, the storm, the silence, All the things that lead you to this place, This place of strength, this place of a 'bigger you', This place of growth.

The many times I miss my father and the strange emotions I feel.  The many times I've wanted to call him excited with some tale,  then I remember, he's not there.  The many things I've seen and I thought to myself "If only Sir could have seen this."  The many memories,  The loving times,  The things that help me pull through tough days.  Your advice,  Your silent approval,  Your side smile.  You built a tough one dad, you and mum. You built a tough one.  I'm weathering many storms thanks to your wisdom.  Building on your foundation, I hope I'll make you proud.  But on days like today when I miss you, I smile to myself cause I know you're smiling down at me.  Beaming with pride.  I'll always love you Sir!

"So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us." Hebrews 12: 1 (GNT) I'm shedding Shedding hair, friends, blood, lies, habits, relationships, I'm shedding Loosing the dead weight from the past [Heck] Maybe I'll loose some real weight in the process, but, I'm shedding If you find yourself in the trash can of my life, it's 'cos you've been shed off I've realised that life's too short to 'fake it' And at the risk of sounding cliche, I want to 'make it', [scratch that] I've realised that dead weight keeps me down. So, while my body goes through this process, My mind will follow suit Shedding Maybe I'll finally realise who I am, maybe I won't  but I've decided, I won't fight it, I'll just go ahead  and shed.

I've been thinking about the paths that i'm meant to take in the coming months. Decisions, directions; I've been planning and praying. I've tried to explain my decisions to close friends, but some times, they aren't on the same frequency with me. Don't get me wrong, their questions are borne out of genuine care and love; but I know what I've heard, I know what convictions I have, I'm certain about these decisions and I'll follow through with God's leading and stick to the plan. It might not make sense in the immediate, but with God, I trust that he will illuminate the path ahead of me.  And in concurrence with my situation, my devotional couldn't have said it better! STREAMS IN THE DESERT They were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia ( Acts 16:6 ). It is interesting to study the methods of His guidance as it was extended towards these early heralds of the Cross. It consisted largely in prohibitions, when they atte...

" Praise him who made the heavenly lights, for his loving-kindness continues forever:  the sun to rule the day, for his loving-kindness continues forever;   and the moon and stars at night, for his loving-kindness continues forever."  Psalm 136:7-9 TLB The lights were a sign, a token of God's provident care. A mark to distinguish the seasons, the days and the years. They were set in the sky for everyone to see. A mark for all to acknowledge, like the star at Jesus birth; A mark for all to acknowledge. A new season is commencing; it has been announced. The season is here! like the rainbow, a sign that never again would the Lord destroy the earth by flood. A testimony, a witness. A mark, signifying the end of one season; a celebration of the begining of another season.  Can you see it? this new season? For the Lord will hasten his word to perform it. 

I remember watching a TV drama where a lady said, "some names can open doors, some names can open windows; your's can't open a burglary proof (padlock)!" I have seen people react to name dropping, I've seen people drop names and others are clueless as to the effect it should have. Coming from my Nigerian background 'do you know who I am?' is a question asked by anyone or everyone and its aim is to elicit fear or reverence. Whether or not this works is a different issue. Back to the matter, what is in a name? I've heard that one of the first difficult tasks of parenting is naming a child. Some parents spend months deciding on the name of the child, some argue, fight ... may the best man win. And God forbid that the child grows up and decides to change the name. So what's in a name? Strength? Character? does it sum up who you are? For years i lived without reflecting my names... and a lot of thought went into my parents naming me (i'd l...

"Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the good things He has done for you and your ancestors" 1 Samuel 12:7 It is important to remember where the Lord has brought us from. It is important to remember our journey with Him. The miracle of salvation, deliverance from darkness into his marvelous light, that is made possible only through faith in Jesus Christ. The miracles in our journey with him. The great deliverance, the little blessings ... the many times He held our hands and walked with us through the valley of the shadow of death. the many times He led us through green pastures... the many times he provided streams in the desert... the times when we met with the rod of correction and the times of the staff of comfort. It is important to remember in silence. Quieting the many distractions that exist around us. legitimate they may be but seeking to choke out our relationship and time with the Father. it is important to sit quietly and remember. ...

"And a certain man of  k the sons of the prophets said to his fellow  l at the command of the  Lord , “Strike me, please.” But the man refused to strike him.  36  Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the  Lord , behold, as soon as you have gone from me, a lion shall strike you down.”  And as soon as he had departed from him,  m a lion met him and struck him down.  37  Then he found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” And the man struck him—struck him and wounded him."  I Kings 20:35 - 37 Disobedience has some deadly consequences... who knows what next step in disobedience might lead to irreversible consequences? 1 Kings 20 tells of  a man who was asked by a prophet to strike him - at the word of the Lord. The man didn't and it resulted in death. I read a quote recently 'let me not die while i'm still alive' and I wondered the meaning of this.  Disobedience leads sometimes to physical ...

Please make us promises you won't fulfill,  We are stupid.  Please tell us lies,  We are deaf.  Please make us reason, not with our heads but with our hearts. Please bind our emotions into jumbled cords, We won't sort them out.  Please lead us, We are blind.  Please take the fall,  We stand blameless.  Make our choices, make our children 'choiceless'.  We will stand, bow, aloof in prayers. We will tell of how we have been deceived.  We will tell of how we have been raped.  We will tell of how we were left without a choice.  We will tell of our bravery and courage.  Of lightning fires and aiming stones.  Of burning tires and shooting bullets. Of cutlasses and machetes; and daggers and broken bottles. Of blood and courage; and tears and sorrows.  Of how we were deceived. But we will never speak,  ...