44th Sunday...Lettin' Go Of the Crutches !!!

Song of the week: Syesha Mercado – I Believe

Encouragement Verse: “...God He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” – II Corinthians 1: 21 - 22 (NIV)

Quote of the week: “Refuse to be locked in the room of previous bad decisions...” --- Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo


“God will hold us more responsibility because we have seen more than our parents have seen…admit the failure and possess the future…”[1]

God stopped me on my track and spoke to my Spirit when I was about to get angry at a friend whom I realized I had began to use as a crutch. So what is Crutch? Or can I write, ‘Crutches’, since generally most people need two to move properly.

“Crutches are medical devices used when a patient is injured usually anywhere below the waist. They usually consist of supports to provide the patient with extra stability to enable normal movement.”[2]

Now, what led me to bring up this whole account/explanation on what Crutches are, I am sure you may or may not be wondering…?

Well, the drama about the Crutch played out a week ago, when I had a very important appointment to meet with someone. I certainly needed help getting around to the place of my appointment since it was out of my way. For this reason, I had called a friend to pick me up at certain time and also made arrangement to leave the office earlier than my close time.

As noon-time approached, I buzzed her many times on her mobile, but no one answered the call. By this time, I was becoming really nervous…which in a few minutes, changed to fury. To show how furious I was, I even began rehearsing the lines; I was going to rain down on her when she finally picks up her phone. But no avail, she still did not.

Right at that point, I decided to call the person I was scheduled to see and cancelled my appointment. And as I got off the phone with them, I was even angrier than a minute ago.

I knew had no other choice than to go home (since I had left my office area to wait for her) so I walked to bus stop as the rain fell. As I stood there, still contemplating what I was going to tell my friend for disappointing me, God stopped me on my tracks. He was like,

“Kemi, why are you using your friend as a crutch? I placed her in your life as a temporary helper to assist you when I deem it necessary then. But now you have to let go of those crutches you have place in her and hold on to me. Let me be your CRUTCH!”

It was then that I recognized what I had been doing and how ungrateful I had been towards my friend. This friend of mine in the past, had gone above and beyond in assisting me. This realization made me cry.

I had been making serious plans to get a new car but kept putting it off because I thought it was not necessary getting one right now. You know with recession, inflation, credit crunch...you name it! I used those excuse. But who was I to decide when the time was or not. All I had to do was show up and then show my faith in God…and from that point God will work with my little faith.

So by evening when she (my friend) finally returned my call, she apologized that she had overslept. I was no longer angry…I even found myself apologizing for being so ungrateful and how I should have had a back-up plan.

So what am I writing here? But that we should hear from God in any situation we are faced with. And ask ourselves when we find ourselve getting angry that there's no one on earth that will ever meet all our needs.

So I tell you bloggers, readers, commenters…let's let go of the crutch we have found in your friends, spouses, parents, siblings, leaders, Ministers…it is time to let God be your CRUTCH!!!

Have a fulfilled week, holding onto God as your crutch…!!!


Credits:
Picture source: istockphoto
Song "I Believe" originally sang by Fantasia Barrino (American Idol)

[1] Lines from a Sermon by Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo

[2] Crutch, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crutch

43rd Sunday...A Dance With Dad!!!

Song of the week: Luther Vandross – Dance With My Father

Encouragement Verse: “Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts..” – Psalm 145: 4 (The Message)

Quote of the week: “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” --- Jim Valvano


I don’t know what stories you have of your Father in your archive…Maybe there are good ones…properly bad or even worst, Ugly ones. But what I do know is that a Father is one who is warrior, one who is not afraid to love even when they know how hard it is for a man to show affection.

I found it kind of TRICKY composing a line or two for my Father; I guess it is becuase I realized I was never program to say those ‘lovey-dovey’ words about Dad, who I have to write really means so much to me.
Most of us, grew up learning to keep Mother’s day special…but it was not until I grew older that I realized that there was a day set aside specially for Fathers. And then again, musicians even made the matter worst because there are more songs dedicated to Mothers than there are of Fathers.

But when I look back in my life, I know my Father played an important role in the person I am today. He made me an independent woman who first believed in who I am before people believe in me. A fighter. A woman of Virtue. My Father first validated me…My Father made me still have a heart to love when I could have stop loving.

He does not say much but when he does speak I gain immeasurable wisdom from him...


Memories of my Father?

The night he prayed with me when I was unable to sleep. The Days, as a valiant, he fought to keep at bay crooks of the night. I remember when I would run into the restroom and cry eyes out after eavesdropping on conversations between my Father and Mother.
He would speak about the battle he had to fight to provide for his family. In all his struggles, he never came back empty handed.

He could have been a coward and ran off but he did not.

I love you, Dad.

“Father, you made me a beautiful woman any man would be blessed to have as a wife.”

[I find myself wondering...
Did I give you your due..
For all that you've done for meDid I ever thank you?

For all of my childhood memories
For helping me deal with life's stresses
For helping me accept my defeats
And celebrate my successes?

Or for teaching me the value of hard work,
Good judgement, courage, and being true
The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared
Did I ever thank you?

If I have forgotten,
I'm thanking you now
You taught me right from wrong....
I hope you know
how much you're loved and appreciated
I hope you, instinctively, knew it all along.

Happy Fathers' Day, Dad

excerpt from Card Poems, "Father's Day Poem Verses quotes", Dad Poem #10]



Picture source: istockphoto

42nd Sunday...My Time to Bloom !!!

Song of the week: Omolara [ft. M.I] – Tonight

Encouragement Verse: “Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” – Ezra 10:4[NIV]

Quote of the week: “Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.” --- Dale Carnegie


January 1, 2009 (New Year), I wrote in my journal:
“…it is not going to be a year free from trials…or tribulations but God will see us through it all. I may or may not get to meet that special one but in my process of finding ‘the One’…”Bankole*” I will get healed spiritually…”

[* at time of writing, I had another name in mind but down the road that was lost in the forest of yesterday…]

God has a reason why we have to go through a series of ‘Soap opera’ moments before we get our breakthrough…Realize that if everything came to us easily then people won’t be able to embark on the journey of self-discovery or growing in relationship with God. Definitely, everything does happen in accordance to His wisdom and timing…
So what does Kemi have to share this Sunday?

[As I flip through entries in my little book, I personally call, ‘Pink Book of Encouragement’]

Um…Ok, I will share with you, what might seem like an insignificant testimony but it is something that I see the hand of God.

As these Sundays hasten toward my ‘Jubilee’ Sunday…I can’t help but share another ‘Amazing Grace’ instant with readers of this blog...

On the preceding Sunday, I shared with you on how I began this ‘Sunday Blogging’ and how God used a Pastor to minister into my life His provision. But unknown to me, something was happening that I did not realize until I was speaking with a friend, when it hit me like a ton of brick what was happening.

On the weekend, when I complete my milestone of fifty (50) Sunday post, it will be the same weekend I will be a Bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding [Check out, ‘Making it Easy’ post].

When I began this journey, little did I know that it will be happening this way…Even my friend (getting married) was uncertain that she would be marrying the guy she was dating at that time. When she first told me that she wanted me to be one of her bridesmaids, I wanted to give her ‘100 reasons’ why I could not but I did not want to disappoint her heart because I was one of those who kept encouraging about finding the ‘One’.

[Sidetrack tale: Another surprise, is that this will be the first time I will be a Bridesmaid in my life…I have been a last minute Maid of Honor (MOH) once but never a Bridesmaid…Have caught the bouquet like a gifted skilled athlete trained for bouquet-catching but never the Bridesmaid. I have bought almost all the aso-ebi for my entire friend’s wedding…but never the Bridesmaid…]

Anyways, I realized that these series of coincident event have been taking place before my (How do I write ‘Korokoro’ eyes in Queen’s English? That will be for another day…anyways) eyes.

The funny thing is that on my ‘Jubilee Sunday’ post, I will actually be sitting in the Church of the pastor that God used to minister to me. First time there and I will be going there because that’s where my friend will be getting married in.

The year (in my own context of posting) will be ending with me as a bridesmaid dancing with my friend down the aisle to God’s altar celebrating His goodness in both our lives.


And like another friend put it, it is your ‘time to BLOOM’…

Next Sunday:
~ Remember to write a letter to all the fathers to show your appreciation to them...

Pixel source: Istockphoto

41st Sunday...From emptiness to His fullness!!!

Song of the week: Seal – This Could Be Heaven

Encouragement Verse: “[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.” – Philippians 2:13 [Amplified Bible]

Quote of the week: “Our strength often increases in proportion to the obstacles imposed upon it.” --- Paul De Rapin

Have you observed how redecorating a particular room has an enormous outcome not just on that room but also how it determines the outcome of the other rooms? Well, that what God want to do in our lives. He sees our determination to change on the interior part of our life and His love for us makes Him reach out a helping hand to our broken and wounded hearts. And as we experience this transformation, people begin to notice a difference in our lives…and also it impacts their lives in some way...

This Sunday, I begin my countdown to my ‘Jubilee’ post…and with only nine (9) Sunday post left, I recall the reason behind this Sunday journey.

Ok, let’s do the moonwalk back to the past…

One of these years (in this century), I found myself in hot waters with some relative while led me into a period of anger, bitterness, and depression. Months to come, I fell into the fallacy of blaming others for the problems I was facing. I blamed everyone but myself. And when I found myself in the corners of failure, I would run my mouth of excuses as to why I was still in the same place. Even giving myself a pat on the back for successfully swindling the mind of my listeners…I made myself the perpetual victim…How pathetic!

Now help me hit the Fast-forward button on the remote called ‘Life’to the present (ok, not quite the present as in this year but last year)…

Here I was a broken woman, hungry for change in some areas in my life, I decided to seek other ways to betterment. Since it wasn’t a stranger who hurt me but someone I would be unable to purge out of my life, I knew I needed the grace of God. I could have given up but I wanted more…I was not ready to settle for less (Remember NTA 2 Channel 5’s Slogan, “Don’t settle for less”). So definitely Miss Kemi was not about to settle…I needed MORE.

So one Sunday, I decided to do something different and it was to listen to a preacher on TV[ Now, you need to understand where I was coming from, I was the closed minded kind (Madam I.T.K - I TOO KNOW) and I did not believe in seeking out help from others – My belief was that they would try to sway me from my faith. But down the road, I learnt that if you have a strong faith & understanding in God nothing can shake from the place you stand...I wanted to be transformed but I needed not to fall into the excuse that it was the Church I attended that made me this way]

As I watched and listened on, his words encouraged me to believe that I could still experience change in my life but I have to be willing to open up to God to use me to His glory. At this stage, I found myself in tears and it was like the huge burden (in my heart) was hauled away.

To be honest, the battle is not over but that was the beginning of God taking charge of my life. It was then I decided to begin my Genesis the Sunday after… [Even though I began this blog March, 2008]

I still keep pressing forward with Hope in my heart believing that things will be different because I will be MAKING AN EFFORT to pursue change not just in the areas concerning my life but in the way of thinking, my relationship with Him...and then my walk with other people He places in my path .

By His grace, I WILL BE A GRADUATE in every stage because I will make an effort…

***Remember to listen to the calm voice in the midst of your storm

Next Sunday On Afunrun gin a Anya:
~ It is my time to bloom like the flowers...It is SUMMER!!!

Pixel source: Gettyimages