Testimonies...So Far, So Good.

In my heart, body and soul, I praise God..always. I start to type this having to choose between so many topics floating through my busy, yet seemingly lazy mind. I am sat in the living room with an unusual headache pounding hard on the innovative side of my brain, the irony is that it is my memory bit that is actually busy with so much having happened during the day/week.

I must confess the last one week has been tough, draining to say the least, emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. I seem to be getting challenges in droves with no visible end in sight. I have, however, chosen to thank God via this medium. This I do, not only because I have a mandate (biblical) to "...in all things, thank God", but because I have every reason to, giving how this year has gone so far.

In one of my earlier blogs, I wrote about plans from last year flowing into this year, about passion and desire for more things that one to happen soon. I planned, worked towards it, and, most importantly, I invested financially and spiritually into my dream and aspirations. I am not talking about stocks and shares, not even about savings and earnings. No, I am referring to contracts with the Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega, about the 'ONE' that fails not.

I attend a bible believing church, I go there for one reason (there are many bible believing churches, yes!), I go there because I enjoy the 'word', the environment as well as the method of teaching. It was there I was introduced to the act of investing with/in God, it was there I signed this contract that is generating more than I bargained for just three months down the line. I truly understand what 'pressed down and shaken together' means. The beauty is the pressing and shaking has only just begun.

I entered the contract unselfishly; i did it on behalf of me, 'her' and my family and friends. I remember my younger sister catching a glimpse of one of my many investments and laughing at me for my gullibility, my mum did same when she heard...LOL. Now, the dividends are coming and spreading, affecting all...who is laughing now?

Early last year, I remember there was a particular ballot in my office for all employees. A colleague and I, then in Ibadan, entered a small meeting room together and prayed that we both won the items involved. Our team members really had a laugh, not only because I was praying over it, but more out of their own lack of faith. Yes, we did not win that year and I moved to Lagos soon after. Now, listen to this, there were two separate but similar ballots earlier this year and I won in Lagos while he won in Ibadan. Did I hear somebody say Halleluyah, or do you say 'coincidence?

This is just one out of the many successes, miraculous escapes (no one was hurt in the accident shown above), provisions and promotions that 'me and mine' have enjoyed and are enjoying at the moment. I could start to list but you did not be able to read it all (and also for privacy reasons :) )

Conclusion; "Test me in this" says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it". (Malachi 3:10, NIV). Praise God, He is indeed faithful to do that which He promises.

A peep into the future named 2010...taking stock, a conclusion.

What does the year hold for us? Hmm, a huge question, one we all are positive about for more reasons than one. With our aspiration, desires, purpose, plans, family, relationships, careers, businesses, finances...jeez, no one needs a sooth sayer to say "THIS IS MY YEAR AGAIN", we all have that churning round our heads.

I was on Facebook a lot during the yuletide (who has a blackberry and wasn't???...lol), I indeed saw a zillion status updates about the new year. If wishes (resolutions and status updates) were horses, 'all man for ride o', problem is 'IT IS NOT!' No, it goes beyond typing, saying and sharing...a lot more is required, this I have gotten to realize over the years.

I had countlessly seen the dawn of a new year to be a reason (enough) to quit a habit, outgrow an addiction, or more commonly, draw a list of "New Year Resolutions". Truth is, at the end of the day (year), we are who we are, what changes is what we are. We are too busy following the trend, catching up on the norm, flung neck deep in the demands of the society, that we forget what purpose is.

The 'Adam' or 'Eve' of today is born into a world where everything is either fashion, fancy or a façade. It has become a life of evolving tradition, a drive towards compliance rather than true desire. Culture is constantly dragged in the mud, or worse still, thrown away, totally discarded off. Anyways, enough of the deviation and back to the original reason for this type-up, looking into the future (2010) via the past (2009).

I don't have any resolutions, those keep evolving, daily, as it is required (quite flexible). I, however, need and have targets. This is essential for purpose, for reflection, for development, for target setting, for the future. I need to know where I am at any point 'T', it is pertinent that I identify Gaps, fill them, reach (or better still, exceed) targets. I need to be able to measure, calibrate (within and without) and define my standing versus virtual or real destinations.

This year, I am grouping my targets under the following headings:

1. Spiritual
2. Financial
3. Emotional
4. Career and development

Everything about me lies somewhere within the above, it is from these I will draw my "Objectives, Goals, Strategies to achieve them and Measures to calibrate myself. It is simple yet almost complicated. I have to exceed last years targets on all of the above for a start, grow at a geometric progression in more ways than one and still maintain sanity in this 'abosultely insane' environment. But why not, why can't I, what is stopping me....nothing, only 'me' can do that and i have decided not to.

I pray I don't have to try twice (or more) before getting it right (like in 2009), I hope I get over the errors of the yesteryears without losing my identity. I am who I am afterall, only the what changes. I know I cannot do this alone, NO!!, the grace of God is sufficient for me (and you, if you so choose).

Remember, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done". Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

YES I CAN!!!

YES I WILL!!!

Closing the GAP...

Wow, not sure I want to write about this...it's so hard to confess one's opportunity areas, especially if you had 365 days to make up and you still missed out on some things. I guess this one is going to be a very brief one, maybe I'll just discuss/write about personal development, self realization and/or focused improvement...that might make me feel better, at least for now.

I hate to admit it but I try more than once on too many things, loose focus, go back to self defeating habits one too many a time. I am strong willed, have a very strong sense of self belief, but it doesn't work on the little issues of life where its  most needed. As the word of God (and Swtzy) says "...it is not by power nor by might...", another good one can be found in Ecclesiastes 9:11 which reminds us the strong don't always win.

I don't have to meditate all night to know where I failed in 2009, NO!, the focus is why and reasons obvious. Truth is as I type this, I am using the opportunity to reflect about those little challenges I had to try more than once on and why, a lot of things are running thorugh my mind, I will list them down for further reflection, a reality check now, and later, as well as (maybe) help someone somewhere like moi.

So, why did I try more than once so often? This could be attributed (but not limited) to the following:

1. Too much trust in myself, over-confidence in some cases
2. Wrong association
3. Temporary (albeit costly) loss in focus on my spiritual life
4. Emotional challenges
5. External factors...the environmental push
6. A weak will...yes, sometimes I forget to remember my strong personality

So, what are the potential solutions?

1. Firstly and most importantly, trust God (not self): 
2. Improved focus on spiritual development, listen to messages (spiritual and motivational), go to church, get and stay close to a spiritual mentor.
3. Deal positively with boredom, do some positive time utilization (e.g., blogging, meditation, reading, e.t.c.)
4. If it does not help you be better, get rid of it!
5. Do not allow your environment and people to get at you, always draw positives out of situations (Nigeria is not the worst place to be, people are still making things happen here)
6. Look into a mirror, stop blaming the next person (be it in your love life, work, family, e.t.c.)
7. Focus on the big picture, don't go for the proverbial 'bowl of porridge', it is never worth it on the long run.

I am feeling better and stronger already, praise God, guess it's a great new year after all...

Remember WHO you are and WHAT you want to be, don't give up and do not let anything and/or anyone discourage you. IT IS BETWEEN YOU AND GOD!!!

PRAISING GOD...

Count your blessings name them one by one...and it will surprise you what the Lord has done." Yes, that will always be evergreen as far as gospel songs are concerned. There is no way I can reminisce the year and not say 'Thank you Father!', indeed God has been faithful all the way, even whilst I was yet unfaithful.

In one of my earlier blogs, I mentioned that I have been highly lucky...better still, favoured. Yes, I have lived a life  underserving in more ways than one, yet, I have survived, crossed huddles, surpised many (including myself). I am one of those people many may wonder "ba wo l' ose nse" (meaning 'how does he do it' in Yoruba language). I have to state categorically (on and off records); the Lord has been indeed faithful even in my unfaithfulness.

In the next few lines, I would be sharing with you my key secrets of success. This will be amplified with real life examples from my experiences and actions in the outgoing(gone) year. Whislt the list in inexhaustible, it is pertinent that we all discover what works for us...these are my own mini-nuggets of praising God, read and learn (and/or re-apply).

1.   Praise God everyday, all the time, anywhere

    Yes, the only true way to say thank you is by praising God, in all ways possible, I was fotunate to realize this early in life. I love praising God, be it in church dancing like I am at a carinval (ask DCC camera peeps), in my car listening to some good old 'Amona tete ma bo' or some priestly Chris Delvan ('Yahweh') or every morning when I wake up. Praise is essential, show appreciation as it does at least 2 things;

      (a) You get repeat business (more blessings)

      (b) Confidence in who you worship.

2.   Pay your tithes, even go a step further

      I am not saying bribe your pastor (or worst still God, sic), I am saying claim what is written in the laws of God (e.g., in the Bible; Malachi 3:8-12...). Don't rob God for starters, do more, go an extra mile too. I have to emphaisize that the fact that I do this gives me so much confidence going into the future, it makes me feel untouchable...you need to read the verses quoted above to understand what I mean.

      Apart from physically praising God, this is my 2nd most important source of blessing and assurance.

3.   Be fair to God...and man

      My mum makes a particular statement in Yoruba a lot in reference to her confidence in doing good; "...ni gba ti mo ba t'eyan je..." meaning 'since I have not destroyed another being'. Truth, it works, do your best to be fair to all concerned, God and man, clean up your conscience. Be just and trust God in all you do. Remember, blessed are the meek and merciful!!!

4.    Prayer and fasting works

      I pray a lot, before I eat, before I leave my house, when I get to work, on the road, when I am happy or challenged...no matter how brief, learn to pray, start from somewhere. Truth is I sometimes wake up too late to have my devotion, I just get up and say the Lord's Prayer hoping to be able to do a little reading of the word at work.

    

    Prayer is no doubt 'the master key' to every and anything. Remember the word of God; "...ask and you shall receive...", mix this with fasting ( I try to do once a week, realize what works for you), it's no shaking for you (Amen).

     

5.   Faith, a mover of mountains

           Simply put, trust God to do all things, I believe in God, in His promises for me and all that His word
           says. I am the modern day apostle of faith, the precursor of possibilities, realities and actualities. I have
           full confidence in God, to say the least.

           

           Let me share a personal testimony; I have not taking any form of drug (medicine et al) since 21st of
           November, 2003. I told God then I believed He did do it then...I still do and He is still doing it, I have
           been ill twice since then (Malaria I believe) and was cured thorugh rest only. No Be God!!!

So, that is it, my life...live what you believe in, hold on to your faith, your God. I still have a long way to go spiritually but I will keep on keeping on, holding on to what little God has shown me and trusting Him for more, more and more. I am blessed to be part of a church that preached faith in a personal way, as a personal thing and I always like to remember (and re-apply) something they say to visitors; '...worship with us for 3 months and do all that is preached from this pulpit and you will realize a marked changed in your life'.

PRAISE GOD PEOPLE!!!

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY...taking stock! (PART 2)

Sometimes I wonder if it is strange that my brain works best in the middle of the night, I am the complete definition of the 'human owl'...very nocturnal indeed. Rule number 1- don't be the person to wake me up in the morning, that is quite a punishment both ways I must confess.

Anyway, to the reason I have given myself to stay awake tonight- "taking stock!"...especially after a very eventful day in an extremely eventful year. Yes, it's been a very eventful year; full of twists and turns, thrills, thoughts and thuds. I have sure hit the dust a couple of times this year, but, the beauty of it is that I have gotten up, dusted myself and hit back stronger. I have been my own very George Foreman, coming back tougher and thicker. I can only define the year as 'good, bad and ugly' (in a metaphorical sense).

Looking back, I really cannot say how the year started, can only remember starting the year on vacation with loads of fun and a deep (and fast depleting) pocket. This year is probably the first year I really took time to spell out my targets, aspirations, expectations and plans. I was expectant, truly, and very determined, trusting my own ability and historically 'favoured life' to see me through. Yes, I have been highly lucky (favoured) over the years, getting so much more than I sometimes deserve(d). I was going to be 30, kai, that still sounds strange even after achieving the extra special (age) milestone (man don dey old o...lol).

Thinking back, there is so much joy, yet conflict, in results. I have so much fond memories, but this are diluted by the few challenges and some 'not so good' memories and events. I will be attempting a summary of the memoirs under the aforementioned heading in a very brief sense hoping it say something about life we already know in my own words.

The Good

What can I say, it almost all worked according to script, I was as usual flexing like the king of my world, all pieces falling into place like it was some voodoo at work. I had great plans for the year, spiritually, relationship-wise, financially, career-wise, I had a plan for every area of my life (at least so I thought).

The beauty of planning is that it allows you know where you are and each time you hit a bullseye, there is this feeling of self satisfaction that swells inside you. I met the financial target (at least on a controllable budget basis), surprised myself, got the promotion, moved to Lagos, grew spiritually and defined more and learnt more about myself than I imagined. Yes, i planned and got 'some' reward.

Yes, I missed out on some targets, re-scheduled some CPSs but that does not and cannot stand up to the feeling of satisfaction, the joy in the kill or the history I wrote this year. Finally, I can't help but mention the sweetness in Swtzy during the year, there were mos def some sweet moments.

The Bad

As I mentioned earlier, I thought I had it all figure out...for where!!! Yes, once the devil realises you have a revelation, that you are close to your purpose, he comes at you harder than before. There were ugly patches to the year, believe me. I disappointed myself a couple of times, broke my own heart and that of others too often.

I have habits, as we all do, some pretty bad ones. Not that this habits define me, no, but they do define my failure sometimes. A habit is a habit, good or not, a spade is a spade. We all know our weak points, denying this will be the great act of self denial and/or personal injustice a man (woman) can do himself (herself) at this level (age and time). A habit could be a positive but detrimental one, not knowing when to say no to a favour is a good example (food for thought).

My habits are my weakness (today but not tomorrow), I give a habit(s) up for a while and the go back to it, that is failure, no two ways to define it. That is the bad part of the year for me, my tiny challenges. It could be as little as my choice of words, my sleeping habit, my temperament or even a societal vice such as a puff. Whilst I win/won the final battle, it hurts that I have/had to try twice, not while I think I am my own "King of the Jungle', hmm...

The Ugly

I will simply list this, they are things I hate to remember;

1. Iya Ibadan (RIP) left us for the next life
2. A woman's scorn (wow!!!)
3. Arsenal F.C.
4. Loss of friends (I shed tears still, RIP 'lobo, Udeme, Mrs Sodeinde...)
5. Oceanic!!! (that is a whole story on its own, will share some day)

As I wipe my tears, I can only pray and hope that the 'morrow is greater and better that today. I hold on to God's promise, I hold on to the reason for the festive period, I hold on to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith (and yours).

As The Year Ends...taking stock! (PART 1)

Wow...finally I write again, feels so good yet so bad. Good because it is always a good thing to do a good thing (lol), bad because it has taken me too long, way too long, so long I feel like crying. I am totally and thoroughly disappointed. Before I continue this, I sincerely extend heartfelt apologies to all followers of this blog. I know have disappointed a lot of people, I must confess I am writing again because you guys motivate me, thanks for the calls, IMs, etc.

I last wrote in August, then, if I remember well, I also went of writing for about a month and was making a comeback. Now, I have been away, for not 1 but, 4 months. It's almost unbelievable, however, in all things, I give thanks. Yes, I give thanks because it's 1 am and I am typing, typing because I can, because I have chosen to sleep late so I can sleep deep and sleep all morning...I am on vacation!!!

As customary, I have taken the last few days (almost all) of the year off work to rest, spend time with family and prepare for a new year. However, to prepare, you need to define current status, evaluate recent history and project into the future on premises based on facts, fiction and dreams (aspirations). There is so much to think about, so much actions to close on the personal front, so much reminiscing to do and there is mos def not enough time.

This year will stand as one of my most revealing, fulfilling, active years in my life. It is a year in which I planned for so much, did so much, experienced so much, learnt so much and left so much. It sends a chill down my spine (a positive chill if there is anything like that) just remembering some of the events of this year. I have decided to take stock, share my diary of 2009 with the hope that it might just mean something new to someone, or, better still, bless someone. I will be doing it in parts, but I promise not to stop writing this until I am done (in the next few days hopefully).

I have decided to group it as below:

1. The Good, the bad and the ugly
2. Praising God
3. Closing the GAP
4. A peep into the future named 2010

Again, so sorry for the delay/disappointment, hopefully I will make up in the next few days.

Too long a time away...too long!

I never knew it did take me so long to post a blog, I really can't understand/comprehend me not writing anything for so long...too long. I remember telling myself I did blog everyweek, on everything, anything, as long as it made sense and there was any iota of learning(s) to be shared.

A lot has happened since my last post, so much has happened and it has been, sincerely, more good than bad. I got promoted, got a pay 'hike', moved to Lagos permanently, got 2 awards at the annual 'P&G Grammys'. That is a lot of good, it gets better because my younger sister came back to Nigeria and not forgetting the grand celebration of life for Iya Ibadan in Sagamu...plentiful activity don waka o'.

That is as per the good, now the bad which includes breaking up with 'you know who', making up and then getting all possible grief a man can get. It is mos def not easy being a man, like an old juju music crooner sang in an evergreen yoruba song; "suuru la fi nse oko obirin". This translates to 'only with patience can you be a husband to a woman'...'m sure you are laughing out loud but it is very true. I have suprised myself to a large extent in recent times, suprisingly so. The struggle of settling down to Lagos life full time is another story on its own. Calling it a challenge is probably a gross understatement, costs are killing, traffic is crazy and pressure is 2ce as Nyce!!

It is not that I am complaining about the fact that most of the last two months have been spent shuttling hotels, I am just worried I will end up on the streets of Lagos (God forbid) if something does not happen within the next 2 weeks. I don't want to discuss the costs, I don't want to remember the fact that its a 500% upcharge to my Ibadan costs, as it could make me run, resign, retire or relocate. I just hope the good news continues to over-shadow the bad news.

The greatest challenge has just been maintaining my spiritual growth, the move, the work, peeps and situation have just been anti-me. I really need to settle down soon, so help me God, challenges will persist but so will the grace of God.

I REST MY CASE!!!