If you come at me with the "Nigerians don't celebrate thanksgiving" line, I will...nvm.
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| This picture is so unrelated to this post, but oh well... |
Monday, 23 November 2015
Thanksgiving.
It's thanksgiving week. Yay!
If you come at me with the "Nigerians don't celebrate thanksgiving" line, I will...nvm.
If you come at me with the "Nigerians don't celebrate thanksgiving" line, I will...nvm.
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
A Lighthouse
"A lighthouse doesn't save the ships; it doesn't go out and rescue them, it's just this pillar that helps to guide people home"
- Lea Michele
A lighthouse is a tower or a building designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and used as a navigational aid for sailors at sea or on inland waterways.
For sailors navigating the water ways, Lighthouses helps them identify:
#Dangerous coastlines
#Hazardous shoals
#Reefs
#Safe entries to harbors
#And also assists in aerial navigation
As I studied about lighthouses, I discovered something interesting, regardless of how big or tall as a light house is, it is powered by a simple "lamp", in the pre-modern era, the lamps were fueled with Whale oil and kerosene but in recent times, most lamps are powered by electricity or gas.
I read the quote from Lea Michele (Racheal Berry of "Glee") and I remembered a portion of scripture. The scripture likened Christians to lights and cities set hills. Do you know that before the development of proper sea ports, sailors were guided by fires built on hilltops? Since raising the fire would improve the visibility, placing the fire on an elevated platform became a practice that led to the development of the lighthouse.
Dear Christian, do you know that to quite a number of people you are like a light house? You may not know it, you may not feel like a "Super-Christian" but...remember that friend that called you after she had an overdose of drugs and thought she would die? Remember that you were the first person your sister called after she had an abortion and she felt like God hated her? Remember how a colleague wept uncontrollable in the bathroom after telling you that he was confused about his sexuality and he couldn't tell anybody else?
When you profess Christ openly, people take note of you and in a weirdly funny way, they look up to you, they may make fun of your beliefs and values but trust me, they look up to you. An assignment every Christian has, is to be a light WHEREVER we find ourselves. Yes, it might be inappropriate to talk about our religious beliefs in some places but we can stand for integrity, we can show kindness, we can speak words of encouragement to people. I have never been to a place where such things are inappropriate.
Remember that the source of light for a light house is a simple "lamp"? However, there is this thing called a lens, it magnifies the light from the lamp and makes it visible to Sailors at a far distance. We are humans with flaws, how can we stand out? We have the Holy-Spirit (our lens) he magnifies whatever effort we put (no matter how little) at standing out and being lights. Like Lea said, lighthouses don't necessarily save ships or Sailors as the case may be, they are just pillars that guide people home, home to Jesus.
One last thing, have you ever noticed that a lighthouse stands alone? Or have you ever seen a cluster or Lighthouses? It might get lonely being a Christian, but I'd rather hear God say "Weldone my good and faithful servant" than have a bunch of friends that will takeep me away from Jesus.
I pray this meets you where you are and that you have the strength to stand for God no matter the consequences.
Matt 5:14 "YOU are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden"
Love and Light,
xoxo.
- Lea Michele
A lighthouse is a tower or a building designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and used as a navigational aid for sailors at sea or on inland waterways.
For sailors navigating the water ways, Lighthouses helps them identify:
#Dangerous coastlines
#Hazardous shoals
#Reefs
#Safe entries to harbors
#And also assists in aerial navigation
As I studied about lighthouses, I discovered something interesting, regardless of how big or tall as a light house is, it is powered by a simple "lamp", in the pre-modern era, the lamps were fueled with Whale oil and kerosene but in recent times, most lamps are powered by electricity or gas.
I read the quote from Lea Michele (Racheal Berry of "Glee") and I remembered a portion of scripture. The scripture likened Christians to lights and cities set hills. Do you know that before the development of proper sea ports, sailors were guided by fires built on hilltops? Since raising the fire would improve the visibility, placing the fire on an elevated platform became a practice that led to the development of the lighthouse.
Dear Christian, do you know that to quite a number of people you are like a light house? You may not know it, you may not feel like a "Super-Christian" but...remember that friend that called you after she had an overdose of drugs and thought she would die? Remember that you were the first person your sister called after she had an abortion and she felt like God hated her? Remember how a colleague wept uncontrollable in the bathroom after telling you that he was confused about his sexuality and he couldn't tell anybody else?
When you profess Christ openly, people take note of you and in a weirdly funny way, they look up to you, they may make fun of your beliefs and values but trust me, they look up to you. An assignment every Christian has, is to be a light WHEREVER we find ourselves. Yes, it might be inappropriate to talk about our religious beliefs in some places but we can stand for integrity, we can show kindness, we can speak words of encouragement to people. I have never been to a place where such things are inappropriate.
Remember that the source of light for a light house is a simple "lamp"? However, there is this thing called a lens, it magnifies the light from the lamp and makes it visible to Sailors at a far distance. We are humans with flaws, how can we stand out? We have the Holy-Spirit (our lens) he magnifies whatever effort we put (no matter how little) at standing out and being lights. Like Lea said, lighthouses don't necessarily save ships or Sailors as the case may be, they are just pillars that guide people home, home to Jesus.
One last thing, have you ever noticed that a lighthouse stands alone? Or have you ever seen a cluster or Lighthouses? It might get lonely being a Christian, but I'd rather hear God say "Weldone my good and faithful servant" than have a bunch of friends that will takeep me away from Jesus.
I pray this meets you where you are and that you have the strength to stand for God no matter the consequences.
Matt 5:14 "YOU are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden"
Love and Light,
xoxo.
Thursday, 1 October 2015
10 things I love about Nigeria
Happy independence Nigeria!
I thought about all the things I love about Nigeria and Nigerians and I came up with this list. When I started, I thought it'd be hard to get to ten but it was so easy and I even got more than ten!
1. Nigerian music: I am not referring to Nigerian music that sounds foreign, I'm referring to "afro-pop, fuji, high-life, etc - Nigerian music that sounds indigenous. One of our greatest exports as a country in recent times is our music! I love Nigerian music, there's something special about it, something happy, something unique!
(I said music not lyrics because I can't for the life of me understand what "ske ske robo ske" means)
2. Food: I love Nigerian cuisine! This might seem ironic because I don’t eat much but that’s because I have small stomach. 😆 Nigerian food is the best in the world! Do you want to argue about that? Then you haven’t tasted ewa agayin, pounded yam, egusi, efo riro, moin moin, ogbonno, suya, ikokore, banga, ofe onugbu, afang, suya, black-soup, owo, asun, (insert any thing) peppersoup, akara, puff - puff, dodo...abeg leave matter for Mathias.
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3. Attire: my favourite Nigerian attire is the edo attire, (not because I'm from edo state 😊). Then I love that of the Yoruba people. I love the way geles look on women but that thing is STRESSSSSS!
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| Former Miss Osas Ighodaro |
4. Movies: gone are the days when watching Nigerian movies would make your IQ drop by 30%, Nollywood is doing a great job and I commend them for it.
5. Nigerian churches: I just had to go there! No one does "church" better than Nigerians. If you're a christian you must have the Nigerian church experience. During prayer sessions there is always that one Bro. Paul that is sweating profusely, and spitting on people because Pastor told everyone to shout at the top of their voices and command the east wind to blow blessings their way. Sister Patience is always slain in the spirit even before "laying of hands" start and Sister Nkiru the choir mistress will always sing through her nose. What of the "Wassup Jesus" (as someone put it on social media) churches? Ha, everything is always on fleek! #ChurchFlow #Onfleek. What about the Sunday-Sunday daraprim people? It is only on Sundays they remember to be Christians. Posting scriptures and motivational quotes on social media. Making statements like "today is Sunday, let's all be truthful, don't get me angry, I don't want to fight". So it's okay to fight every other day of the week. Ok.
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| "Today is Sunday, I don't want to use the "f" word" |
On a serious note, a lot of Nigerian Christians are DEVOUT! Regardless of how we go about it, we love God and will not hesitate to shove it down the throats of whoever cares to listen.
6. Weddings! : Oh my gosh, how could I forget! I'm so sorry Aunty Bella. This should be at the top of the list. Nigerian weddings are sooooo colourful! Lord! The party scene (weddings et al) in Nigeria is "turnt" (forgive me for using that word Esther). Shalla to all the Yoruba people, no tribe does it better when it comes to owanbe.
7. Language: About 510 languages are spoken in Nigeria but my favourite are Esan (beacuse I'm Esan) Yoruba and Igbo. I love the way those languages sound. They sound...special. I'm always awed by the fact that within a one hour driving distance, you will find groups of people that speak different languages and there are no similarities in the languages whatsoever! Case in point Edo state. Nigerian languages are beautiful, forget the fact that some sound like a stainless steel plate bouncing off the floor several times.
8. Our sense of humour: who remembers "political twitter?" I died from laughter that time. Nigerians are not just the happiest set of people in the world we have the best sense of humour...ever!
9. Our "political activism": have you ever seen a newspaper stand in Nigeria? Those stands news paper vendors display the dailies to sell or allow people read any paper they want for a certain amount? Ha! If you see the way people gather round to argue about news headlines? They won't but any newspaper o, they won't even pay to read it, they'll just peep at the headlines and start arguing. Serious arguments for that matter before you know what's happening, people will start hurling insults at each other. I remember one particlar scene, a man was shouting at the top of his lungs and the veins in his temples wanted to pop out! His eyes were so red, as if someone put hausa pepper in it. There's one close to the building I work and the only time you won't see them there is when it rains. Every Nigerian is a political analyst and activist and I love that, it is our "activism" (however misguided it may seem) that got us to this point as a country.
10. Nigerians are fighters: Nigerians are the most resilient set of people in the world. No electricity? we find a way to generate it ourselves. Bad roads, we find a way to navigate or find alternate routes. Another angle to this is that Nigerians are everywhere in the world! This is a fact. A friend recently relocated to "one county like that", a very remote place that you hardly hear about the country and I thought he'd be the only Nigerian there. Story!
If I hadn't set the limit at ten, I would have said more. I didn't get to mention that I love the way Nigerians dance and our dance styles, I love the fact that Nigeriansa are beautiful people or that we have very beautiful places in this country.
I love Nigeria!
Nigeria is beautiful and blessed!
God bless Nigeria.
Please share to every Nigerian you know and add to this list in the comments section!
Please share to every Nigerian you know and add to this list in the comments section!
xoxo.
Wednesday, 30 September 2015
Dawn

Dawn will come...the night can only last for so long.
Those that wait on the Lord...
We wait, because it is dark and we don’t know which way to go.
We wait on you because we are weak and our strength has failed us.
We wait because we tried to do it on our own and in our own wisdom but we failed.
We wait because all hope is lost, we had put our trust in chariots and horses but we lost our way.
We wait because there’s nothing left to do, we have tried everything we know, we diligently applied every knowledge we gained but it failed us.
We wait because there seems to be no way out of this tunnel because we are stuck.
We wait on you because we’ve made so many mistakes already and we do not desire to make more.
We wait on you for your word, instructions, directions. ..anything.
We wait because we know dawn will come,
The night can only last for so long.
They shall renew their strength...
You have exalted my horn like that of a unicorn, fine oils have been poured on me.
You have taken my sorrow and shame away,
You have put a new song in my mouth.
You have given me strength,
You have made me smile again,
You have mended the pieces of my broken heart,
You have healed my body, like the balm that you are, you have soothed my aching bones.
You have done what no man can do because you have strengthened me from within.
They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall run and not faint...
I can run against a troop with the help of my God.
I can leap over a wall with the help of my God.
I can do all things because my God has given me strength from within
I am a bright and shinning light because from within me burns the brightest fire.
This piece is dedicated to my friend Esther, dawn has come and it is time for you to soar. You went through the night and your light only burned brighter, it never dimmed. Soar baby, soar, nobody can stop you because God himself set you on this path.
To whoever is reading this, always remember that no matter what you’re going through, dawn will come, night can only last for so long. Never compare your journey with that of others because we are all on different paths, we all have different stories to tell. If people are getting breakthroughs that you desire for yourself, never despair, never give up hope because when hope is lost, what then do we have left? Always remember “anytime you wake up is your morning”.
Dawn will come.
Isa:4 vs 31
“those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint”
xoxo.
Monday, 31 August 2015
Wherever you are...
Hello everyone,
August was such a blur, I can't believe 30 days went by so fast!
I have a serious case of "writers block" and I can't seem to get anything out no matter how much I try but anytime I think of writing this picture pops up in my head
Have you ever found yourself "wandering" at times? You know you're in familiar surroundings but deep inside you feel lost, you wonder how you got to a particular point and you can't even remember the steps that brought you to the wilderness you find yourself presently.
I think at some point, some people go through this phase. I have and only God knows if I'll have to go through it again.
I don't know everything, but I'm sure of this - no matter where you are, God is with you.
Some people are on the right path but still feel like they're wandering, I think it's fine. Let's say where you are/were is point A and where you want to get to is point Z. There are 24 points between A&Z and even if you feel like you're wandering at points G, T & X, you're not lost, you're just in unfamiliar territory and that's fine because the end point - Z is nothing short of beautiful and glorious.
Some others are on the wrong path and they know it! Some don't. But if you feel/know that you're on a path that leads to neverland, God is still interested in you and can redirect your footsteps from where you are to where you ought to be if you let him.
The words of David comforts me
"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens you are there
If I make my bed in hell you are there
If I rise on the wings of the dawn
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me
And your right hand will hold me fast"
Never forget that no matter where you are, God is with you and will lead you. You are never lost or alone!
Have a blessed September and please pray that this writers block leaves. I'm tired! Arghhhhhhhh!
"And surely I am with you always, even to the end of time" Matthew 28:20
Love and Light,
xoxo
I think at some point, some people go through this phase. I have and only God knows if I'll have to go through it again.
I don't know everything, but I'm sure of this - no matter where you are, God is with you.
Some people are on the right path but still feel like they're wandering, I think it's fine. Let's say where you are/were is point A and where you want to get to is point Z. There are 24 points between A&Z and even if you feel like you're wandering at points G, T & X, you're not lost, you're just in unfamiliar territory and that's fine because the end point - Z is nothing short of beautiful and glorious.
Some others are on the wrong path and they know it! Some don't. But if you feel/know that you're on a path that leads to neverland, God is still interested in you and can redirect your footsteps from where you are to where you ought to be if you let him.
The words of David comforts me
"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens you are there
If I make my bed in hell you are there
If I rise on the wings of the dawn
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me
And your right hand will hold me fast"
Never forget that no matter where you are, God is with you and will lead you. You are never lost or alone!
Have a blessed September and please pray that this writers block leaves. I'm tired! Arghhhhhhhh!
"And surely I am with you always, even to the end of time" Matthew 28:20
Love and Light,
xoxo
Monday, 20 July 2015
The Princess And The Frog
"Kissing every Frog because you don't know which one would be your prince"
The most random thoughts pop into my head at odd times!
The most random thoughts pop into my head at odd times!
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Grace abounds much more.
Hello there!
How was June? Hope you've all done your BVN? Trust Nigerians to wait till the last minute to do everything! Anyway, the Central Bank of Nigeria has extended the closing date to October 31st 2015. Shout out to everyone that spent the whole day queuing at the bank, don't procrastinate next time. *Hugs*
I listened to Swoope's Sinema album for the first time today and that album is deep! I had goosebumps at some point! The last two tracks on that album was spot on! The album was an audio movie if there's anything like that and carries a message about our struggle as Christians with sinful desires. The lyrics had so much depth and this made me think. Recently, I have seen a lot of young people do amazing things. From music, to fashion, to business, to arts,to rendering services and any other thing you can think of. This reminds me of the scripture that says "where sin abounds, grace abounds much more". Let me explain further.
It is very common to hear things like "I fear for this generation" "this is a wasted and lawless generation" "this generation is doomed for destruction" yadah, yadah, yadah.
Statements like these annoy me.
I am not ignorant of the fact that moral decadence is prevalent in this generation but I am of the opinion that we have two extremes.
On one end of the pole, there is decadence, immorality, the whole nine yards.
On the other end, there is good, so much talent and creativity. I'm amazed at the things young people do. I am particularly amazed at the wonderful things a lot of young Christians are doing. I get engaged in conversations with other young people and I am blown away because the world hasn't seen half of what this generation has to offer.
I am very wary of older that people that are quick to judge young people. Especially some "agbalagbas" in Nigeria. I always wonder; Which generation put Nigeria in the mess we're in now? Which generation looted and bled this country dry? Which generation produced the Sugar Daddies that "arisotos" follow?
Anyway, I am not here to start a "war of generations", I respect and value the opinions of those older than I am. My point is this, never let anyone, look down on you, yes you, because of your age. If God has placed a dream in your heart, follow it, because that is what will give you fulfilment. Never be afraid to say the truth. I believe that as much as there it is getting harder to stand for the truth, more grace is available for us.
I don't believe in the condemnation rhetoric about this generation. I believe in the grace of God that is available for us.
"Romans:5vs20 But where sin increased, grace increased all the more"
P.S. Speaking of young people doing amazing things, a lil birdie told me about a young woman that started her own make up and event management company! You can find out more about her company and the services she offers here.
Love and Light,
xoxo.
How was June? Hope you've all done your BVN? Trust Nigerians to wait till the last minute to do everything! Anyway, the Central Bank of Nigeria has extended the closing date to October 31st 2015. Shout out to everyone that spent the whole day queuing at the bank, don't procrastinate next time. *Hugs*
I listened to Swoope's Sinema album for the first time today and that album is deep! I had goosebumps at some point! The last two tracks on that album was spot on! The album was an audio movie if there's anything like that and carries a message about our struggle as Christians with sinful desires. The lyrics had so much depth and this made me think. Recently, I have seen a lot of young people do amazing things. From music, to fashion, to business, to arts,to rendering services and any other thing you can think of. This reminds me of the scripture that says "where sin abounds, grace abounds much more". Let me explain further.
It is very common to hear things like "I fear for this generation" "this is a wasted and lawless generation" "this generation is doomed for destruction" yadah, yadah, yadah.
Statements like these annoy me.
I am not ignorant of the fact that moral decadence is prevalent in this generation but I am of the opinion that we have two extremes.
On one end of the pole, there is decadence, immorality, the whole nine yards.
On the other end, there is good, so much talent and creativity. I'm amazed at the things young people do. I am particularly amazed at the wonderful things a lot of young Christians are doing. I get engaged in conversations with other young people and I am blown away because the world hasn't seen half of what this generation has to offer.
I am very wary of older that people that are quick to judge young people. Especially some "agbalagbas" in Nigeria. I always wonder; Which generation put Nigeria in the mess we're in now? Which generation looted and bled this country dry? Which generation produced the Sugar Daddies that "arisotos" follow?
Anyway, I am not here to start a "war of generations", I respect and value the opinions of those older than I am. My point is this, never let anyone, look down on you, yes you, because of your age. If God has placed a dream in your heart, follow it, because that is what will give you fulfilment. Never be afraid to say the truth. I believe that as much as there it is getting harder to stand for the truth, more grace is available for us.
I don't believe in the condemnation rhetoric about this generation. I believe in the grace of God that is available for us.
"Romans:5vs20 But where sin increased, grace increased all the more"
P.S. Speaking of young people doing amazing things, a lil birdie told me about a young woman that started her own make up and event management company! You can find out more about her company and the services she offers here.
Love and Light,
xoxo.
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