Good evening all. Below is the convocation lecture delivered by Babatunde Raji Fashola: the honourable minister of Power, Works and Housing to the convocants at the University of Benin on the 25th day of November 2016.

I find it very interesting as it is mind stimulating and soul searching. Please take out time to read it.

FREEDOM FROM FEAR, CHOICES BEFORE THE NEW GENERATION – BEING THE CONVOCATION SPEEECH DELIVERED BY BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN ON THE 25TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2016


Great UNIBEN.


This is the greeting amongst students on the campus of the University, and it has endured after graduation and stayed with the alumni; decades after graduation.


May this greeting endure also for all of you who graduate today, and may you fulfil your destiny of greatness as products of a great institution and citadel of learning.


That this university is great is beyond argument now.


The evidence of this abounds in the human capital supply she has produced for Nigeria in fulfilment of the objectives of founding fathers.


It is a rich store of personnel, not only in quantity, but defining in quality.


In all spheres of Nigeria’s developmental endeavour, there is a representative of great UNIBEN, not only in a participatory role, but also in a leadership role that is setting worthy and commendable examples.


The boys and girls of yesterday have become the men and women who define the developmental character of our nation and they are waiting for you all to join them to play your role.


Therefore, I intend to start my interaction with you today by telling a story.


Many years ago, sometime in 1983, in a Philosophy classroom, a lecturer was telling his students about the theory of evolution, based on the Big Bang and atomic perspective of our evolution.


He charged them not to believe things that were not demonstrable by evidence.


He taught them about cause and effect relationships of man’s existence and that everything was ultimately traceable to Matter – something that can be seen.


The students it appeared seemed to enjoy this explanation of life and their own existence; the problem was that it debunked their understanding of faith, religion and God.


They had grown up believing, as Christians and Muslims, that there is God. But they could not see him. How were they going to resolve this matter of ‘Matter’ and science on one hand, God on the other hand.


This lecturer professed no faith, and did not believe in God, or so the students thought, until one fateful morning when one of the students sighted the lecturer walking out of church after a Sunday morning service.


Bewildered, confused feeling misled or deceived by a teacher who told him not to believe where they did not see or could not prove, (and this in the student’s mind extended to God) and to see the purveyor of that view walking out of church, with Bible in hand, was the biggest betrayal that was not going to pass unchallenged.


The student walked up to his teacher, quickly conveyed his courtesies of “Good morning sir” and the following conversation ensued:

“What are you doing there sir? You came to church?”

“Yes,” answered the teacher. “I worship here every Sunday.”

“You believe in God?”

“Yes I do.”

“Why have you been deceiving us?”

“How have I been deceiving you?”

“You taught us to believe that God does not exist since we cannot prove it,” the student said.

“No. I did not. I believe in God,” the teacher replied.

“My faith is different from my job. Your school is training you to become lawyers.

“They have employed me to develop your minds to question and challenge things. To seek knowledge, never to be easily satisfied.

“To think, and to challenge the existing order, to drive change and never to settle for the path well-travelled.

“To dare and to dream, to seek new ways of doing the same thing, because as lawyers, people’s fates will be defined by choices you make.


“Their lives will sometimes depend on your abilities, as will their businesses or their marriages. That is my job.


“Whether you believe in God or not is not my business. That is your personal choice.”


Ladies and Gentlemen, that is as best as I can recall this event.


The school where this event happened is where we gather today. The great University of Benin.


The faculty that offered the course in Philosophy is the Faculty of Law.


The lecturer was either Greek or Cypriot. His name was Theodoropolous. I was the student in question.


That encounter shaped my life in many ways; and even if I say so, I am the better for it having gone through it.


If I had to choose a university again, it would be University of Benin.

​
It is that experience I had that I feel bound to share with you today as you leave the University.


If I successfully connect with only one of you, I believe the effort will have been worthwhile.




That is why I have titled my intervention: “FREEDOM FROM FEAR, CHOICES BEFORE THE NEW GENERATION”, in the hope that I will challenge you to take control of what happens to you and what happens around you.


I say this because there seems to be an increasing manifestation of our collective surrender of our individual choices and free will to divine intervention and the possibility of endless miracles.


We are now in the realm and reality of constant expectations of miracles and divine intervention.

Superstitions have taken over reason and logic.


When we pass examinations, win football matches, conduct successful elections, or achieve any feat, we seem all too frightened and unsure of ourselves to take credit for even the most modest of successes attributable to our efforts.


The first thing you hear is God did it.


For the avoidance of doubt, I believe in God, and only He can question my faith.


But I also believe He gave us a lot of free will.


Regrettably, we have surrendered our capacities and abilities in a frightful way to FEAR, that we have become victims of some confidence tricksters who deceive, disentitle and prey on our fears and frailties in ‘gods’ name.


Every man and woman of substance now has a Pastor, Imam, Spiritualist or even a witchdoctor or Dibia who is responsible for telling them what to do, when to do it, in a way that diminishes his abilities and surrenders his talents and free will to divine intervention or spiritual consultation.


Many people are disappearing and are being murdered in a crazed quest for human parts because some who have been entrapped in fear and superstition, believe that you can make money through ritual sacrifice.


Nothing can be further from the truth.

Human parts are tissues, bones, muscles and all that, and they have no place in the materials used to manufacture money.


There is nothing Divine in money making. It is entrepreneurship, production and hard work.


The teaching of science as espoused by Theodoropolous tells me that money is a product of man and not a product of God.


It is manufactured in a place called a Mint, by a process of printing, using special paper, ink, engravement and embossment, to make it difficult to fake or counterfeit.


When we play a football match and get to half-time, which is a few precious minutes to quickly refresh, renew and re-plan in the dressing room, we instead gather to pray, on the field, in a huddle that the whole world is still trying to fathom.


We waste the precious time that is allotted for tactical review, and return to the second half, singing and praying, “He is a miracle working God” in search of divine intervention.


The truth is that we have done well when we prepare and done badly when we do not.

Sometimes of course, working hard does not always bring the expected results but it is better than not working hard.


Yes, God is a miracle worker. I believe, but he is not an unjust God who rewards those who make no effort at the expense of those who do.


I once listened to a sermon broadcast on Television, asking people who are indebted to step forward for prayers that will make their debts disappear.


It frightens me. It does not make sense to me.


Debts are accounting, matters of credits and deficits. They do not vanish.


It is people who live in FEAR who fall prey to such teachings and become victims of misery from poor choices.


I urge you to free your minds from such fears.


There are many teachings about freedoms.


Freedom from want, Freedom of Associations, Freedom of speech, freedom of choice (including the choice of leadership by voting at elections) and many others.


But the least expressed freedom, is the freedom from FEAR, which in my view is the most important.


A mind taken over by fear cannot express free will and will therefore not fully optimize or benefit from the other freedoms.


For example, we have seen that elections are conducted in other parts on the basis of polls, campaigns, analysis of human behaviour rather than any occultic or sacrificial offering.


Candidates who wish to win elections must persuade people to agree to their messages and promises, and seek to change the minds of those who are unpersuaded, by understanding what they want and taking steps to address them.


Those who may not be initial converts can change their minds, as we have seen in our own President who finally won after 3 (THREE) unsuccessful attempts.

For those who do not know, let me share with you some of the things that President Buhari did to win the last election.


A poll was conducted across Nigeria and administered to 20,000 Nigerians as a sample, with each person answering 60 (sixty) questions administered face to face.


That meant that the poll had to analyse 1,200,000 (ONE MILLION, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND) responses on what Nigerians wanted in the 2015 election.


The top 3 (THREE) were security, corruption and economy, which was to form the core of candidate Buhari’s campaign message that produced President Buhari. This is how to win elections.

Polls are of course not fool proof. They can be manipulated or misinterpreted by those who analyse data. They can also be misunderstood . – Hillary leading but had over 60% Trust deficit.


Let me tell you another story related to me. This is the story of the ram.


A friend related to me how his mother had a bad dream concerning his well-being.


The dream was related to the mother’s Imam.


His response was that there had to be a sacrifice.


I interrupted by asking if the sacrifice involved buying a ram and he said yes.


Seeking to know how I knew. My response was that Ileya (the Muslim festival of Eid-El-Kabir) of Ram sacrifice was 3 (THREE) weeks away and (at the time) any trickster who could not afford one would find foul or fair means to get a ram even though Islam does not make it a matter of compulsion.


Whilst I am not passing any judgement on the Imam and any other man of God, because I cannot question their faith, the coincidence was just too uncanny. Yet I agree I may be wrong.


However, I do not see how sacrifices are solutions to dreams.


Dreams are scientific events occurring as a result of the Rapid Eye Movement during sleep at a stage when our brains are most active.


Let me reiterate again that I have no quarrel with faith. What I seek to advocate is the lack of FEAR, and the resort to faith out of conviction rather than as a result of FEAR.


Fear takes choices away, and choices can and must be the product of conviction.

If we pursue our choices with as much conviction as we pursue our faith, we will certainly be a more prosperous society.


Let us remember, that at least the two dominant faiths are not original to us. They are inherited. The propagators of the faith have made them personal affairs and not public ones.


I have attended meetings in the West and in the Middle East and not on one occasion have these meetings been started or ended with prayers.


Meetings represent public undertakings and places of work and productive undertakings to deliver prosperity.


When those people have worked hard for the week, they go on Fridays and Sundays to their places of worship and their homes to offer prayers, for God to bless and prosper the work of their hands.


Sadly, back home, the head of Governments, heads of ministries, and businesses, devote early mornings at work to prayers with their staff while productive man hours tick away, they do the same at home and on weekends, we  socialise.

In effect we spend a lot of time praying and socializing.


How can this lead us to prosperity? If this is not faith influenced by fear, I do not know what it is.


If you visit many construction sites where the Chinese are employed as contractors, you will find that they work on Sundays, but we who have unemployment challenges, do not often work on Sunday.


We have invested a worrisome amount of money in building places of worship compared to what we have in building factories, businesses and schools.


This is worrisome compared to the investments I see in businesses and schools that outstrip investment in places of worship in the West and Middle East.


Recently, while driving along a road of not more than 5 (FIVE) kilometres in a Nigerian city, a colleague and I took an unplanned census of building types and this is what we counted:

a) 1 laundry outfit for washing and dry cleaning clothes (Job place)

b) 3 clinics for healthcare (Job place)

c) 2 petrol filling stations (Job place)

d) 1 bank branch (Job place)

e) 4 shopping outlets (Job place)

f) 1 eatery (Job place)

g) 10 religious houses (Worship place)


As you go around your states and neighbourhoods, I urge you to do a similar count and tell your neighbour what you see.


Again I reiterate, I do not criticise worship, but I am challenging you to think through the choices you will make.


We will not pray our way out of recession, we will plan, and produce our way back to prosperity and out of recession and you are the freshest, youngest and most energetic workforce we will have to work with.


You are the new batteries to power the engine of growth of our country.


Your choices must be clear, free from fear, not reckless but driven by analytical thought, questioning and probing and ultimately determined by convictions.


In order to test the consequences of choices based on faith influenced by fear, I advise you to look at the world map and 2 (TWO) Island nations who are situated on the Northern Hemisphere.


I will not tell you their names. You find that out. But I will tell you they are close to each other. One believes in God and works hard. The other one is the home of voodoo and spends all time practising this.


If you follow their history, the first one is prosperous and the second one seems to have made a permanent contract with poverty.


This can be changed if and when they make the right choices.


While still on this matter, let me speak about traditional medicine as distinct from divination.


Traditional medicine, from herbs, roots, and other endowments
of nature have their place of pre-eminence in the assurance of our wellbeing and good health.


I cannot say the same thing about divination and sacrifices.


We must choose to work our iron ore to produce steel and build skyscrapers, machines and tools like others do instead of worshipping the god of Iron.


We must use engineering to manage and control flooding and erosion.

We must probe the treasures of our forests and depths of our oceans as bastions of possibilities that we must manage and dominate instead of worshipping the god of the sea.


If we continue to fear the sea, oceans and waters we will perpetuate the practice of sacrifice, instead of undertaking the enterprise of understanding; and dominating them for energy and transport.


We must approach our rock formations as treasure troves of building materials like marble, tiles and granite rather than treat them as totems of salvation that require animal sacrifice.


We should stop deifying the moon and stratosphere beyond the visibility of our eyes out of fear.

Instead we should develop the courage and resolve to send men and women to land a space craft there.


I fully understand that some of you who have been raised in an environment dominated by your fear, may have been adversely affected by it.


But let me assure you that freedom from fear is not the same as courage. Instead while fear is an emotion, freedom from it is the ability to overcome it by refusing to surrender to it.


It comes from developing an ability to question things, to challenge the existing order and create a new order.


It has been done before. It requires us to know our choices and beliefs and dispense with culture that is not dynamic.


That is why twins survive today. We stopped killing them and turned our backs against a Philistinic practice that was masquerading as a culture.


If you surrender to fear, people less educated, less intelligent and less qualified than you will take over your minds, your homes and your decision making powers.


Many of such people are confidence tricksters who will prosper at your expense by preying on your fear.


Therefore, let me say to you that while your education may not be perfect, while there may be challenges, there is room to improve on it, because your education does not end here.

Indeed, your education has just started.


What you have learnt in the controlled environment of university classrooms will be subject to the test of real life situations.


How you improve and educate yourself depends on how you use your minds.


For example, do you simply repeat and reaffirm what you hear people to say simply because they are highly placed and supposedly intelligent?


Do you verify it yourself before repeating it to others ?


Do you ever ask yourself if those people could be wrong? Yes, they can be. We are all flawed.


Do you ask yourself whether those you quote without question even read as much as you do?



Do you think in terms of these words:- “Impossible”, “Improbable,” “Unlikely” ?


If you do, please stop it. They are symbols and signposts of fear.


Almost everything that was once thought impossible, improbable, unlikely has happened.


Men and women now fly thousands of Kilometres in the sky. They eat, sleep, even now shower on the Airbus A380, an engineering feat delivered by engineers of Airbus and Boeing who started out life like you, as young graduates like you.


There are now driverless cars, and men have landed on the moon and have communicated back to Earth on missions driven by freedom from fear, sheer dedication, hard work and an indomitable spirit that refused to surrender to divination, but persevered against the odds of failure before success was achieved.


But these men and women who have freed their minds from fear are not done. They are pushing to send men to Mars - The Red Planet, they are looking for cures for cancer, alzheimer’s and other diseases.


This will be the work of science, research and engineering driven by freedom from fear, not by prayer, or sacrifice of fetish to some inanimate deity.


How do you free your mind from impossibility, improbability, and unlikelihoods?


The answer is simple. Remember always, that those words are negatives. Replace them with positive thoughts and actions.


This is what frees your mind from fear and helps you to choose, to see solutions and to look for opportunities, instead of dwelling on and surrendering to problems.


If you see unmanaged refuse as a problem, you may not think of recycling and re-use and the economic opportunities that have multiple benefits, including the ultimate removal of the refuse.


If you dwell on traffic gridlock as a problem, you are unlikely to focus on developing intelligent traffic management solutions like traffic lights or a radio station to manage it and create opportunities for yourself and others.


If you focus on crime and its burden, you may lose the opportunity to focus on crime management strategies like more policemen, crime detection methods, employment and training of judges.


Indeed, as they say, if you see every problem as a nail, the only solution you might evolve is a hammer.


So, please look for the positive angle of a difficult situation, because there will be one, if you look hard enough.


I urge you to free your mind from fear, reach for the skies, choose by conviction and not by fear; trust in your abilities and God given talent, take responsibility, work hard and pray if you believe.


Yes, Sango is the god of lightning and thunder, but all the sacrifices made to Sango has not generated 1 (ONE) kilowatt of electric power.


Electricity is produced by using nature’s gifts , such as gas, water, solar and wind, harnessing their capacity through turbines made from steel to serve our energy needs, not by making animal sacrifices.


I will conclude by urging you to look for the book titled “Start Up Nation” by Dan Senor and Saul Singer , it would provoke your thinking as it did mine.


I am done.


Congratulations on your graduation. May the wind be behind your sails as you set forth in the journey of life.


May you fulfil your true promise, and may you be free from fear so that you can make good choices in your contribution to our national development.


Thank you for listening.


Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housi[truncated by WhatsApp]

What I Have Been Up To.

This shares, in pictures, a few things that have taking my time and resources in recent times. I am indeed learning the importance of 'Living, Loving and Life'.

Mo's Baptism

 Mo is growing so fast, one in a bit. She is a handful, an awesome one. She is already doing magic I must say, heck of a blessing she is to my wife and I.

Business travels

Cairo and Geneva are awesome places, history and beauty are abundant. I appreciate the privilege of enjoying 'work'.

Biking - Lagos to Abidjan

History was made in May as five Nigerians rode the West African coast from Lagos to Abidjan on motorcycles, looking forward to the next epic journey.

Life has been good, God always faithful. I am looking forward to the rest of the year, you should be too.

#faithinlove

Bring Back Our Girls

#bringbackourgirls #bikersofLagos #werodeforthem #notoviolence #believe

A Concerned Muslim on Boko Haram

Evening peeps, sallam aleikum to the muslims, apology for the long BC, its borne out of necessity.

I've been extremely bothered about the silence of Muslims over the havoc Boko Haram is wrecking on our land. I watched Shekau's video & my heart bled - for all the innocent lives lost, for our girls & most importantly for Islam. Don't we realize that this isn't just an attack on Nigeria, but an attack on Islam. This retard kept saying 'By Allah', saying Allah commanded him to do all he's doing, slandering and uttering blasphemous remarks all to perpetuate his evil intents. Very sad indeed. 

The participation of Muslims in newspaper/online articles & comments aren't encouraging. Turn on the TV & you would hardly find a Muslim saying anything about this. Is it shame, fear or ignorance? Where are our Muslim leaders in all these? How many of us have joined any protest or been active in anyway in the #bringbackourgirls campaign? We just sit @ the corner of our homes & condemn? We should be the one leading the war against this murderers called boko whatever. Bunch of hypocrites they are. Shaytan must be having a big laugh wherever he is! He is succeeding in rubbishing Islam in the face of the world&it seems we are letting him. I want to implore us all to please lend a voice, not just as individual, but as Muslims. Let us use all  peaceful platforms available to us to condemn this evil&uphold the religion of Allah as a peaceful 1. The people who say this is a religious war say so because they do not understand Islam & we do nothing to make them understand. Islam does not condone violence & the only way we can communicate this is to speak up.  The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: "If one of you sees something wrong, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart and this is the weakest faith." Enough is enough! Please join this train & let's get it moving. May Allah help us all. Please re bc to all Muslims.

Written by Olajide Adebayo, May 2014. (Original wordings)

Thanks Mum

'...The most precious treasure a man can find.' Proverbs 31:10

Erma Bombeck wrote: 'When God was creating mothers, on His sixth day of overtime the angel said, "You're fiddling around a lot on this one." God replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She's to have 18,000 replaceable moving parts, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a kiss that cures anything from broken legs to disappointed love affairs...and six pairs of hands!" "Six pairs of hands? No way!" the angel said. God said, "And the challenging bit is the three pairs of eyes mothers need. One pair that sees through doors, another in back of her head that sees what she shouldn't be able to see, another in front for looking at a child who's goofed and saying, 'I understand, and I love you', without speaking." The angel said, "Lord, take a break. Tomorrow..." "I can't," God said. "I'm close to creating something so like Myself. Already she can heal herself when she's sick, feed a family on a pound of minced beef, and get a nine year-old to stand under a shower!" Touching her, the angel said, "She's too soft!" "But so tough!" God replied. "You can't imagine what this mother can endure." "Can it think?" asked the angel. "Not only think, it reasons and compromises," God said. Running his finger across the mother's cheek, the angel said, "There's a leak!" "It's not a leak," God said. "It's a tear." "What's it for?" asked the angel. "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness and pride." The angel declared, "Lord, You're a Genius!".' Just a columnist's fictional story, but well worth pondering. Thanks, Mum!

Culled from 'Word for Today'

This touched me - UCB Word for Today

I am sharing the belle, I get messages daily from UCB, life changing I must say. We can all get there, we need to make the choice to today! #Godhelpus Thinking and Acting Like Jesus (1)

'Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.' Philippians 2:5

Max Lucado writes: 'What would your life be like, even for one day, if you were to think and act like Jesus? If His priorities governed your actions, His passions drove your decisions and His love directed your behaviour? What would you be like? Would people notice the change in you? Would your family see something new? Would your co-workers sense a difference? What about the less fortunate; would you treat them like you normally do? How about your friends; would they detect more joy? How about your enemies; would they receive more grace and mercy? And how would it affect you personally? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you view death differently? Would you pay your taxes differently? Any chance you'd need fewer aspirins or sedatives? How about your reaction to traffic delays? Or when the deal falls through, or people don't do what you want them to? Would you still dread what you are dreading? Better yet, would you still do what you are doing? Pause and think about your schedule, obligations, engagements, outings and appointments. With Jesus fully in control, would these all change? Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the image. What you see is what God wants! "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." If you committed to living this way for a lifetime, or a year, or even a month, you would be a transformed person. So just try it for one day: today!'

God is always GOOD.

Liked this and decided to share - Enjoy!

A King had a male servant who, in all circumstances always said to him; My king, do not be discouraged because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes.

 

One day, they went hunting and a wild animal attacked the king. The servant managed to kill the animal but couldn't prevent his majesty from losing a finger.

 

Furious and without showing gratitude, the King said; if God was good, I would not have been attacked and lost one finger. The servant replied, 'despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good and everything He does is perfect, He is never wrong'.

 

Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his servant. While being taken to prison, he told the king again, God is Good & Perfect.

 

Another day, the king left alone for another hunt and was captured by savages who use human beings for sacrifice. On the altar, the savages found out that the king didn't have one finger in place, he was released because he was considered not "complete" to be offered to the gods.

 

On his return to the palace, he ordered the release of his servant and said; My friend, God was really good to me. I was almost killed but for lack of a single finger, I was let go. But I have a question; If God is so good, why did He allow me to put you in prison? His servant replied; My king, if I had not been put in prison, I would have gone with you, and would have been sacrificed, because I have no missing finger.

 

Everything God does is perfect, He is never wrong. Often we complain about life, and the negative things that happen to us, forgetting that everything happens for a purpose.

 

God knows why you are reading this message today, please bless someone with it by sharing it. God is good and perfect!!

A tale of {some} men and love

There was a group of men gathered at a church conference on "how to live in a loving relationship with your wife".

The men were asked, "How many of you love your wife?" 

All the men raised their hands. Then they were asked, "When was the last time you told your wife you loved her?" 

Some men answered today, some yesterday, majority didn't remember. The men were then told to take their cellphones and send the following text to their respective wife; "I love you, sweetheart..."

Then the men were told to exchange phones so one can read the other wife's reply to the love message. Here are some of the replies:

1. Have you impregnated someone again?

2. That was then, not now!

3. You wan borrow money abi?

4. What did you do again I won't forgive you this time?

5. Meaning??

6. Is that a new song??

7. Am I dreaming?

8. If you don't tell me who this message is actually for, you will die today!!!

9. You dis man! I asked you to stop drinking!!!

10. Abeg na who be this?!

This is hoping we are better off.

Life is worth living now - a short piece by a friend

When we die, our money remains in the bank... Yet, when we are alive, we don't have enough money to spend. In reality, when we are gone, there is still a lot of money not spent.

 One business tycoon in China passed away. His widow, left with $1.9 billion in the bank, married his chauffeur. His chauffeur said:- "All the while, I thought I was working for my boss... it is only now, that I realise that my boss was all the time, working for me !!!" The cruel reality is: It is more important to live longer than to have more wealth. So, we must strive to have a strong and healthy body, It really doesn't matter who is working for who. In a high end hand phone, 70% of the functions are useless! For an expensive car, 70% of the speed and gadgets are not needed. If you own a luxurious villa or mansion, 70% of the space is usually not used or occupied. How about your wardrobes of clothes? 70% of them are not worn! A whole life of work and earning... 70% is for other people to spend. So, we must protect and make full use of our 30%. Go for medical check-ups even if not sick. Drink more water, even if not thirsty. Learn to let go, even if faced with grave problems. Endeavour to give in, even if you are in the right. Remain humble and not too greedy, even if you are very rich and powerful. Learn to be contented, even if you are not rich. Exercise your mind and body, even if you are very busy. LIFE IS SHORT...LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!!!

Anonymous 2014 

My Fatherhood Experience Part 1

My fatherhood experience has been a sweet one, well, discounting the broken sleeps and sleepless nights that is. My daughter, Morifeoluwa, would have been six months on the 29th of February, problem is it isn't a leap year so no 29th. Anyway, no celebrations for half year so we wait for the first birthday. By the way, with babies you count and celebrate every day, then week, then month before the first birthday.

I love 'Mo, I love to play with her, eat with her and laugh with her during the day. The thing with babies is that they want to eat, play and cry as they want, am or pm,  any hour. The challenge is I need to sleep to be productive at work, I need to sleep and not wake up for 6-8 hours at night. Since 'Mo came into the picture, I have struggled.

My nights are now a fit of starts and stops, sleep and wake...more like a 2nd hand 'keke napep' headed to Abuja from Lagos. The sudden screams jerk me from sleep, my wife simply turns and looks at me with an expression that spells 'go get her' in capital letters.

Do I miss my pre-fatherhood days, NO, those were boring. Truth is I rather miss my pre-fatherhood nights. I, however, find consolation in Morifeoluwa's smile, her laughter and the way she 'vibrates' when she sees me come in through the door in the evenings after work. I find satisfaction in the fact that I have in my family Mummy Mo' and Baby 'Mo.

#faithinlove

Public Service Broadcast

Sharing a broadcast I got a few minutes ago FYI.

The Nigerian Police have been accused of killing a staff of Ecobank, Mr Babatunde Oke who was picked up by the police after his employers accused him of fraud. Babatunde died today in a Police custody after he was allegedly tortured by them. His friends have been sending different BB broadcasts insisting we all pass it round till it gets to the Inspector General of Police. Babatunde left behind a wife, a 2-year old child and five months old baby.  Continue after the cut.One of the broadcasts read;Please spread the news until it gets to the Inspector General of Police. An Ecobank staff of Ladipo Oluwole branch Ogba Lagos was tortured to death today by the police at Falomo Divisional HQ Lagos. He left a 2 year and 5 mth old baby. He was accused of theft of 1.2m and was picked up this morning. Thank you all. #JusticeForBabatundePlease spread

FROM AN ANGRY NIGERIAN:- AN OPEN LETTER TO SILVERBIRD TELEVISION {STV}

If you think we Nigerians are Jobless or Fools, then you must be out of your minds. Even when MTN told us to text to win Aeroplane we never did it;  now you're telling us to vote for people like Aliko Dangote, Ngozi Okonjo–Iweala, etc. as Silverbird Man of The Year Award Winner. For God's sake these people are already made and yet you ask ordinary hustling Citizens to still use our N50 (money for bread) to vote for these people. If they need it so bad, it should be a toll-free text paid by them or better still reward the voters with #1500 recharge card. We have no business with whoever is the Man of The Year.  If you're alive, feeding yourself and your family, trust me, you're "THE MAN OF THE YEAR". If you are taking care of your husband very well, training your children well and also put your house in order and your family is pleased with you, my dear, you are also "WOMAN OF THE YEAR".... Nonsense!!

Anonymous BC

The Ideal Parent

'Point your kids in the right direction...' Proverbs 22:6

The 'coach/trainer' style: These parents provide direction by teaching and example, modelling respect, responsibility, safety, trust and maturity in how they treat the child. They are 'in charge', yet always preparing the child for the 'in charge' role in due time, delegating authority to the child when they are ready. Respect, not intimidation, is used to train kids, understanding that a respectful child will follow the rules even in your absence. Responsibility is modelled by the parent's refusal to make (or accept) excuses. Independence is encouraged by how well children handle limits and controls. The parent is solution-focused, not problem-focused; forgiving; acknowledging their own failures; and directing kids to the future, not the past. These parents choose their battles wisely, avoiding damaging arguments but holding the line in matters of faith, respect, trust, honesty, responsibility and consequences. Mistakes are used to teach, not shame. Such parents are transparent, admitting their own shortcomings and apologising when it's necessary. The rules are clear, consistent and fair. They don't issue repeated 'warnings', and consequences apply without exception. Administering discipline is done with nurture, respect and reassurance. What are the pluses of the style? It provides kids with a safe, protective, loving environment for learning, while you, the parent, model respect, responsibility, trust and autonomy. Movement toward adulthood is a joint parent-child project. What are the minuses of this style? None! Called from 'UCB Word for Today' by Bob and Debby Gass

Mobile blogging...a renewed choice to write 'life'.

So I haven't blogged in, ehm, forever? Yes, I have virtually turned my God given grace to write to a denizen of the hidden depths of this world, almost forgot I could think and write simultaneously so easily.

Oh well, I am here sitting in church, listening to Pastor Bolu go on about talent and God not being partial (yeah right!, how else do you explain the choice of Israel or the gazillion differences in this world) and I remembered my blog. Not really, I actually opened up an email from Sahara News and clicked on a link referring to the sacking of Madam Oduah #finally and saw my blog was opened on the browser. Truth is it has been opened about a month and I just couldn't or didn't bring myself to really have a look at it. I guess the 'me in me' was simply ashamed of having not blogged in forever, not even a picture post.

I got married, actually pursued my wife for a year before courtship, traveled a lot of places, had a beautiful and blessed daughter #Mobaby, been through so many awesome periods and not once did I blog! Not once!!!

Ok, discovered twitter (for Arsenal) and, more recently, Instagram but never blogged even though I have my blog page link everywhere I go, even LinkedIn.

This has to change, this has changed. I have an iPhone with a blog app. I am 'blog' (born) again!

I am back!

PS: Pastor Bolu is still preaching, moved on to financial blessings...I am blessed!!!

Another random one... Thought Provoking!

There are no absolute finish lines for everyone in d race of life. Our tracks are different,our lanes are different & our durations are different. The only thing we have in common is the same umpire. For instance, one person graduates at age 20 & struggles for another five years to get a job, another might graduate at age 25 & gets a job immediately. One can marry a virgin & wait for d next decade to have d blessings of children, another lady probably after having series of abortions in her past, becomes a mum almost immediately after marriage. A fellow becomes an MD at 38 and dies at 56, another becomes MD at 55 and lives to 90 wat a life. Life is full of twists, turns, ups & downs and many more surprises & disappointments. Life offers each one of us different opportunities. It is up to each of us to patiently prepare,wait, recognize & utilize every opportunity. We learn on the way. No one knows it all or has it better. There is a reason why we all don't fall at the same time. Its so dat when one is down, weak & discouraged, the other who is strong, can encourage and uplift him. God never promised that the road would be easy but He promised never to leave nor forsake us. There's no competition in life so let's learn to go easy on ourselves & trust that God is working it all 4 good (even if it doesn't make sense now). I know dat there is a time for everything but most importantly that "it will come to pass". Whatever trials, challenges or down time, this too shall pass & in due course, you'll be up & strong again to lift up those who maybe down around you".Lots of things in life are by choice & not by force.

Let God take the wheels in our Lives!

One of those BB broadcast :) , June 2012

Random but true...

I recall as a kid that a man in my village became unpopular for engaging in money rituals just to buy the 80's edition of the Honda Prelude. You wouldn't buy that car for 50k today.

I remember as a kid, my whole street converged to watch a truck deliver a very large satellite dish to my neighbor's house. Today a dish one tenth that size delivers 5 times the value and is in almost every student hostel room.

What of the Volkswagen Santana, Mercedes Benz V booth, all overtaken by Camry and Honda discussions? .... Vanity.

Old versus new

A friend declared drinks for the boys because he just launched the Nokia Communicator for over a hundred grand in 2002. Today that phone would embarrass the owner and is a joke compared to the low cost and everyday phone.

People still make the most amazing sacrifices over the vainest of things, make enemies over worthless material things. What can I say? Look back at that one thing you want to kill or die for today and see what becomes of it tomorrow.

Slow down with the sense of attachment and blind pursuit of things, for today's gold is tomorrow's copper...

- Anonymous, April 2012

POINT ME A NIGERIAN POLITICIAN

Point me a Nigerian Politician

And I shall show you a shallow-minded,

Proud, and

Self-conceited human;

One who waters his garden with perfidy,

Stocks his barn with prejudice,

Has self-satisfaction for breakfast;

Avarice for lunch,

And vanity for dinner.

One who sleeps on the bed of self-righteousness,

And dances to sleazy tunes of failures.

Demo'crazy'

Show me a Nigerian Politician,

And I will point you a piteous Pharisee,

A wonderfully and deceitfully friendly alien,

Spoilt-rotten beyond redemption,

But hides under the cloak of righteousness.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing,

A disgrace in its entirety

Holding out the gong of integrity,

With a pizza slice of corruption lining his pocket seams.

Point me a Nigerian Politician.

For till present I have looked for but never found;

That Nigerian politician,

Who takes a daily meal of honesty

Dines with forks and knives of integrity

And sleeps comfortably on the bed of people-first;

If you have seen one please let me know

And I shall doff my heart in honest obeisance for him.

O’seunfunmi, April 2012

CELEBRATING XMAS THE NIGERIAN CHILDREN’S WAY IN THE ‘90s

Conductor suits,

Measured to size,

Hanging on hangers,

In Papa’s wardrobe,

Waiting to be worn,

For the festivities

Fill our thoughts

Making us eager to start Xmas earlier.

Oversize shoes,

Stuffed with tissues,

That will make us look,

Like Ali goes to school,

Is never an issue,

For even without laces,

They are like aces up our sleeves

And braces for our dresses.

Shiny plastic watches,

With shiny metal latches,

And silly looking faces,

But really looking gracey,

Lay on mama’s dressing table,

In very lovely plastic bags,

Begging to be worn,

Even before its specified time.

Mickey dark goggles,

With beautiful plastic frames,

Bought by grandma,

On her way from the village,

For her lovely little grandkids,

Lay on the refrigerator,

Blinking down like *shine-shine*

Under the Christmas lights in the sitting room.

Rolls of biscos,

Wraps of knockouts,

Bought with stolen money

Are packed under our beds

To be unleashed on passersby,

And also innocent girls we have crushes on,

As they walk out of the church

After the Xmas-eve service.

On Christmas day,

Like overstuffed teddies we walk,

Bouncing quaintly in our uncomfortable dresses,

And licking ice-skobi-skobi endlessly

While trudging from house to house,

In guise of seeing old-time relatives

But ending up with our tummies filled to bursting

And then spend the rest of the year nursing the effects of constipation.

If you never celebrated xmas the old-skool Nigerian children way,

You never knew what you missed.

© OLUWASEUN ADEGBOHUN 2011

A SONG OF WAR AGAINST DIVORCE...

Excuse the foundation of our existence

Life was never to beg indulgence

Love, true and pure is of life’s essence

 

As a stubborn yoke, you thrive

Never wishing I could drive

For union, I would dive

Like a bee in its hive

 "Today we long to own

Tomorrow ,a taste of disown"

Today we long to own

Tomorrow ,a taste of disown

In desolation, our mothers moan

For the pain of desertion that’s sown

Let my parents live the promise

And not as one mourning a demise

For all in the walk through life’s premise

They never thought to live amiss

I walk in the sands of time

Knowing I owe you, not a dime

Let me do life without a crime

And be at peace even in my prime

Go back to sleep, o’ you wreck called divorce

For you sulk as a curse

Love was never meant to be toppled by force

Yet good life remains but a choice

I miss your care, ‘o  father

How could you leave my sweet mother

Bet you know you made a blunder

For divorce, loving has become a tall order

The griming menace called divorce

Plaguing our homes without remorse

I captain a force mounting a horse

And declare that your end is come.

I say, ‘No to Divorce”.

Dedicated to all homes and families battling separation and the hardships fraught with divorce.

olayinka fadipe, 2011

THE VOW!

THE. VOW   I, Sarah Adams take Lawson Kuti as my lawful wedded husband, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, till death do us part" she smiled at him through her veil.   "You may now kiss your bride Mr. Lawson" The Pastor beckoned.   Lawson's heart raced as he gently unveiled his bride's face. She looked so beautiful. He gently bent over and placed a soft kiss on her lip. Sarah in turn embraced him tightly with tears of joy streaming down her face.   "Never leave me Sarah" He whispered in her ear.   "I will never leave you" she whispered and they slowly released themselves from the embrace.   "I present to you the latest couple!" The Pastor exclaimed excitedly   The church cheered and Sarah cried more in her husband's arms.

5 years Later

Sarah silently tip toed behind her husband. He was in his study, engrossed in reading. She smiled to herself and gently covered his eyes with both hands.   "It's just you and I in this house Sara, plus, I smelled you the moment you walked in" He dropped   Sara released her hold, sighed and sat on the study table, "Why do you figure me out so easily? I can't even surprise you! That sucks" she curled her arms around his neck   "You are my wife, nothing you do is supposed to surprise me" He playfully pecked her nose.   "But you've been in the study all day and I'm bored!" She rolled her eyes   "So what kind of fun do you suggest we have then?" He swooped her off the table in his arms   "No! no that kind of fun!" She hit him playfully till he put her down   "Ok", He folded his arms on his chest, looking into her eyes, "So what do you want us to do?"   "Not us. Actually, all I want is to play with your play station and you've hidden it again! Just give it and you can continue your reading. pleaaaseee" She blinked her eyes playfully   "No way", He went back toward his study chair and sat, "Not my play station"   "Why! You never let me touch it...like its your baby" She sulked   "Well", he rolled his eyes, "Not like you've given me a baby yet"   Sara paused for a moment. Did he just say that to her? The words struck her deep down   "You shouldn't have said that Lawson..." She managed to say, her countenance changing.   "But it's true...I'm only saying the truth Sara" He turned to face her, still sitting on the chair.   "The truth? You think I don't want us to have kids?"   "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that..." He stood to face her now.   "Then what are you saying Lawson? Tell me, what is the truth?"   "Let's not do this today...please. You can have the play station and play all you want. It's in my footwear locker and the key is in my Bible"   "You always do this...hurting me with your words" Her voice began to shake   "Don't start Sara please"   "Tell me why you said those words to me! I want to know!"   "Because I'm tired! I want to be a father! I want to have my own kids Sara..."   " and you think I don't?!" Sara flared, trying not to let the tears pour   "Then why can't you get pregnant Sara? This is the fifth year we are trying." He clenched his teeh and walked out of the study.   Sara was in shock. She sat on the chair for some seconds, stood up again and saton the chair again...this time she held on to her blouse and burst into tears.

2weeks after

"Lawson, wake up please" Sara tapped him   Lawson gently opened his eyes and looked at the alarm clock by his bedside, "It's 2:00am Sara..."   "It's urgent"   "I'm listening" He said drowsily   "Mother says we should come for tests. She says she's spoken to her doctor and he said we should come."   "What?" Lawson opened his eyes now, "Your mother is the UK for Christs sakes"   "Let's just do it. We can go for the weekend, lets just give it a shot, please."   "No. That would be rather expensive and..."   "It's my birthday today and the only thing I want from you is this trip"   Lawson fell quiet now. For the past two years now, his wife's birthday skips his mind...totally.   "I'm...I'm sorry Sara...It skipped my mind..."   "It always does" She lay down back on the bed, backing him.   Lawson wrapped his arms around her waist, "I said I'm sorry..."   No response.   Lawson sighed, "Fine, we go this weekend"   "Really?" She turned sharply, excited   "If it will make you happy today"   "Thank you baby" She hugged him.

A week after

Sara jerked at the vibration of the phone in her pocket.   "Hi mom!" she pressed the phone to her ear with her shoulders, wiping the washed dishes with her hands.   "Honey..."   "What is it mom?" she pressed it harder   "The result...the result of the tests..." her mother cried   Sarah gently dropped the plate and the wiper, hear racing..."Just say it mom..."   That night   "I can never have children Lawson..." Sara cried   Lawson felt his world crash right in front of him, "W...what?"   "Mama called today...she's gotten the tests results"   "Jesus Christ" Lawson stood, placing his palm on his head, "b...but you told m you were ok before we got married, you told me the doctor said your abortion didn't damage your womb"   "Don't bring my past into this!" Sara flared   Lawson laughed and got serious almost immediately, "You are crazy. I married a crazy woman!"   Sara looked at him in shock, like he'd lost his mind.   "The results say you can never have children and we bith know that this has to do with the abortion you had before we met!", he flared, "are you happy?...you know we're screwed right? No kids? what re we going to tell the world?"   "Lawson we can adopt..." Sara cried   "Adopt? Wow!", he laughed again, "I married a funny woman too!" He got sserious again, "Its still not our baby! The damn baby is not my flesh and blood! You are full of deceit Sara" He looked into her eyes. Sara could see him fighting his tears.   "Lawson stop...you are hurting me..." Sara fell on her knees crying   "You want to know what I'm thinking?" Lawson looked at her with disgust, "I'm thinking how on earth I'm going to stand seeing your deceitful face for the rest of my life"   "Sra cried harder, "Dont give up Lawson...So far I have a womb...I can still carry our baby..."   "I am not giving up on having my baby, I'm giving up on you" Lawson turned around to leave   "Lawson!" She held his feet, "I'm hurting too..."

He only dragged his feet from her hold and drove out of the house. She wept.   A month Later   "Mother, he's not even talking to me. All of a sudden we are both strangers...He doesn't eat my food, comes home late...he hates me so much and its killing me. I'm confused...to think that it's ,e truly hurting..."   "For how long will you hide this truth from him. You've got to let him know...you can't carry his..."   There was the sound of a car hon   "Mom I've got to go...he's back"   "Baby, you've got to let him know. It can work when you two are one in mind"   "Bye mom" she ended the call.   Lawson came into the house, about to walk past her.   "Lawson" She held him   "I'm tired" He didn't want to look at her face   "I know...can we talk for some minutes?" She tried to help him remove his suit   "Look what is it" He jerked from her   "Do you hate me this much? you can't even look me in the eye? you can't even stand my sight? Lawson...it's me Sara...your best friend..." Her eyes grew moist   "I'm in no mood for this" He turned around to walk away   "Don't you dare leave when I'm talking to you!" She dragged him by the suit.Just then, some papers fell to the floor. Sara quickly bent to pick them up...her hands shook and her body became numb all over.   "D...divorce papers? Lawson?" She searched his eyes   "Answer me goddammit!" She held him by the collar of his shirt, crying   "They are for you to sign. I want out" Lawson dropped   "Y...you what?" she slowly freed him from her hold   "It's not going to work Sara, can't you see?"   "Lawson I can't believe you would think of a divorce and even go this far...why are you so wicked!" she cried, angry   "No! Why are you so wicked!" He retorted, flaring   "Think about me for once. I am a man for Christs sakes. My children are my pride! and you are about to deny me that for the rest of my life because of your stupid mistake!"   "What about me! have you stopped for once to think about what I'm going through"   "Its your cross, carry it" Lawson fixed his angry eyes on his wife   "No, its now our cross and I am not signing those divorce papers! We vowed never to leave each other!"   "Isn't it better Sara that you save yourself more hurt and sign these papers than to see another woman move into this house before your very eyes?" he said with a tone of sarcasm   Sara's heart thumped, "What?"   "You heard me...another woman who can help raise a family, so save yourself the stress and sign the damn papers. I need it tomorrow"He turned around to leave again   "She still can;t carry your baby" Sara dropped   "Not all women had abortions. Not every woman was like you." He scorned.

"You are the one who can't give me a child!"

"You are the one who can't give me a child!" Sara let out, crying.   Lawson stopped now, turned around and walked towards her, "Whatever your plan is won't work"   "I told you I could never have a child because its you who can't make me pregnant"   "Shut up! shut up Sara! what the hell are you saying!" He shook her shoulders violently   "You are infertile Lawson...the doctor says you have primary infertility..." Sara burst into tears   Lawson gasped, loosing his balance.   "Mother called me to give me the news. I was shattered, I felt like my world was over but more importantly I thought of you. I thought of what the news could do to you, I thoight of the best way to tell you... never for once did i think of leaving you. I bore your insults, your scorn, because of my past. It was so easy to judge me and think of yourself. I am the one who is hurting, I am the one who should bring some miserable divorce papers...but I thought of you...I thought of hope, faith and a miracle...I thought of my vow to you on that altar. In sickness and in health remember?", she smiled through her tears, "all of a sudden you are as weak as a baby...looking in your eyes, I can see you sudenly have lost all your guards, You are so wicked"

"Sara..." Lawson fell on his knees, torn.   "No!" She quickly fell on her knees too, "No Lawson..." She couldn't bear to see him cry   "I'm...I'm infertile", he cried, "What is left of me?" he searched his wife's eyes   "Lawson please..." she held his face, "I understand...it has been so hard for me...I have put myself in your shoes since the first day..."   "You don't deserve this...you deserve better...I can't believe I scorned you all along...please let me leave you"   "No" she shook her head, "You are my husband. I won't leave you. I won't let you leave me...I believe in miracles"   "I'm doomed...Sara I'm doomed..."He allowed his wife take him in her arms and on her shoulder he wept like a child.   In the Morning   Sara gently opened her eyes, looking beside her bed...it was empty. She quickly sat up on seeing a note gently placed on the bed. Hands shaking, she opened the letter to read.   Sara,   I cannot bear the shame. I have treated you so unfairly, yet you love me still, you are with me even in this condition of mine. To think that you knew all along and you never for once gave me a clue that it is my fault we are in this mess, makes me so unworthy of you. I love you enough to let you build another life with a man who can make you happier. I'm torn Sara and all I ask is your forgiveness. I have always loved you and if you truly love me then please start your life over again...without me...I am truly sorry for disappointing you.   Lawson.

Sara couldn't control the tears. She couldn't think straight anymore. She picked her cell phone, shaking...   "Hi Mr. Lawson's office please"   "hI Lola..." she cried, "have you seen my husband today?"   "No...no ma'am, we've been expecting him at work. He has a presentation is fifteen minutes"   "Oh God...God..." Sara dipped her hand in her full hair   "Everything ok ma'am?"   "Thank you" she ended the call.   She quickly got down from the bed and in her pajamas she ran into her car. She dialed his number repeatedly as she drove...no answer.   At 2:00pm   She sped into Fred's compound, a close friend to her husband.   "Fred!" she banged the door hastily till the door flung open   "My God Sara what's wrong?" Fred held her   "It's...its Lawson...have you seen him? is he here?"   "No...Haven't heard from him in a week"   "Oh God" she held her hair   "What's wrong?"   But she was already walking away into her car.   "Sara!" He called after her.   She zoomed away.   4:30pm   "Mom, Dad, I can't find Lawson...I can't find your son..." she cried as she paced in front of the two who looked lost   "You have to calm down and tell us what happened" Lawson's mother put her arms around Sara.   Sara burst into tears, "Please Dad could you try his number, maybe he'd pick your call?"   "Have you been to his office?" He picked his cellphone and dialed his son's number   "I have been everywhere I know him to be likely available"   "It's ok...calm down please" Lawson's mother pet her   "He's not picking. What exactly went wrong between you two?" Lawson's father searched Sara'a eyes   9:00pm   Sara was still in her pajamas and on her way back home, exhausted and stuck in the traffic. She had told Lawson's parents everything. The poor couple was so shattered and also begging her to begin a new life. Sara buried her head on the steering, crying; she hadn't realized the green light.   "Hey get off the freaking road!" a driver cursed from behind her   "God please don't let him harm himself...keep him safe and lead me to him...please God..." she quickly started the car and began to move.

Suddenly she remembered the church where they wedded and took their vows. It was two hours from here; she made a u-turn and headed for the church hoping to find some peace. She tiredly got down from the car, drenched and exhausted. She trudged into the open entrance of the church. She paused for a moment; shocked...it was Lawson sitting at the front row of the empty church, facing the altar. "Lawson!" She began to run towards him, happy, relieved that he was ok.   "Sara?" He quickly stood as she approached him, "Sara..."   They both ran into each other's arms. He hugged her so tightly   "I looked for you everywhere....this was the last place I thought you'd ever be...I just came and I saw you...Lawson....I'm so happy you are ok" she touched his face   "I didn't know where else to go...It just feels like I cant face the world anymore..." he slowly released her from his embrace.   "Take my hand" Sara stretched out her hand, "C'mon, just take it"   Lawson gently clasped his hand into hers and she took him to the altar and stood to face him. She searched his eyes so deeply and hadn't seen him so weak and helpless.   "Five years ago Lawson, we both stood on this altar. Remember our vows? Remember you whispered in my ear never to leave you. I told you I wouldn't...that's why I'm here. I am your wife Lawson, I am meant to be with you forever, though the bad and good times. We've had good times, why would I leave you now? All I want from you is to believe that you can still give me a child despite what the result said...I want you to believe in a miracle", she held his face, "remember when you told me I was a miracle in your life?...our children will be our miracles too. Trust God with me because I know it won't be long..."   "Who are you Sara..." Lawson was weak with her words   "The one who vowed to be with you till the end" she smiled through her thin tears   "God I love you so much Sara" He hugged her again   "So will you come back home with me?" Sara searched his eyes   "I have no other place to call home" He placed a soft kiss on her lips.

2 years after   Lawson and Sara were on the sofa watching a late night movie. Sara was resting on his shoulders when she felt the movement   "Lawson Lawson, it moved again...don't miss it this time touch touch" she gently placed his palm on the side of the stomach. Both felt the movement of their child   "I can feel him...I can feel him" Lawson placed his head on her belly   "I can feel him growing each day inside of me..." "What do you think its saying now by this movement?" "Thank you dada for believing in me" she laughed. They both laughed "The movement has stopped" he slowly removed his head from her stomach, "I think he's sleeping" Sara rested on his shoulders again, "In six months you'd be a father, "You finally got your miracle"   Lawson tilted his wife's face to him, looking into her eyes, "Sara...you were the miracle I needed. Thank you for not leaving me." Sara tickled his nose with hers, "I love you too. Always will", she smiled, "We missed a whole lot on our movie" "Movie can wait, but this can't" He gently planted a kiss on her belly.

Hi Friends,   First, we forget our vows so easily, so quickly that once our marriages start hitting the rocks, we fail to realize that there is power in union. When there is union, every mountain can be subdued. The problem is people don't yet understand the concept of marriage and trust me, until you do, please don't go to the alter because what you don't understand will eventually become a burden and confuse you. The concept of marriage is 'for better, for worse'. The 'worse' moments always come. I am not saying expect bad things but I'm saying that challenges come in marriage to make you stronger in oneness so don't use it against yourselves. Second, miracles are real and I hope we all learn to have the patience to have our miracles in the end. Remember that marriage is a 'stick and stay' relationship not a 'hit and run' thing.

 Remember your vows each day, enjoy your marriage, you deserve it! 

Ewoma Uvomata 2011