An Ode to the One Who Dares to Turn the Pages

[Image by Dustin Diaz]

"I wonder why those soldiers divided His garments amongst themselves," Miguel said out loud. He was sitting on a brick fence reading the book of Matthew. "Why didn't they just toss His garments away like a pile of rubbish?"
He jumped down and started walking back and forth. Many things took place, not because they were important in themselves, but just so that every prophecy might be fulfilled. He ran back to the book on the fence to find the prophecy. He flipped the pages backwards...slowly going back in time. And finally he found what he was looking for in Psalm 22:18: "They divide My garments among them; for My clothing they cast lots." He smiled. He had searched the pages and found his answer. It needed to be done to show that He was the Christ, the son of God...the Messiah.

An Ode to the One Who Dares to Turn the Pages
[An Interpretation of the 1st Psalm for the 21st century]:

This is for the one who dares to turn those pages
Day and night he never stops
If he's not reading, he is reflecting
In English we call him "Blessed"
In Hebrew they call him "Barukh" which means "praised"
Yes, he is praised by God
"But wouldn't that be an irony?" You ask.
"Aren't we the ones to praise God and not the reverse?"
You see, what you don't understand is that God also praises man
He is also amazed when we walk in His ways
Just like we are amazed by His power
So to the one who dares to turn those pages
God praises you

This is for the one who dares to act according to the pages
He doesn't waste his time with futile things
He flees from all appearances of negligence and mockery of God
The people call out to him to be like them
They tell him he is wasting his time, that the world is theirs to enjoy
Sometimes they laugh and ask him why he is studying
But he makes a firm decision to continue doing so
Yes, he is praised by God

This is for the one who stands like a tree at the edge of a river
His roots stretch till they touch endless waters
That's why it's pretty difficult for him to die
He remains fresh and bears many fruits
Wherever he goes he serves to inspire others
Wherever he is found becomes brighter than before
Whatever he holds in his hands increases exponentially

This is for the one who dares to turn those pages
Those who do otherwise seem to have short-lived joy
Small issues blow them away, and bigger ones even kill them
But this one understands that God is sovereign
And so he knows where to run when issues appear
A strong tower he read about in the book
For this reason he is praised by God
God knows his way, and he knows God's way

Question(s) for the Day: How many times do we search the pages to seek answers for ourselves? This 21st century generation seems to be scared of flipping the pages of the Bible. We would rather call someone on the phone to explain something to us, rather than research it by ourselves. They say what you don't know can't hurt you, but I beg to differ...ignorance hurts, and painfully so. Maybe it's time for you to make a daily decision to turn those pages for yourself and find out what it holds for your own life.   

PS: Thank you so much for nominating the Light-A-Lamp blog in 5 different categories.
-Most Inspiring Blog
-Best Religion Blog
-Best Personal Development Blog
-Best Designed Blog
-Best Use of Social Media

Voting Commences today, May 31st....you can click on the LOGO below right now to vote. I really appreciate it, but don't quite know how to say thank you. Don't forget to answer the questions for the day, I would love to read your responses *smiles*


On the Matter of God's Blind Side:





I've always wondered why I stalk some bloggers. Maybe I feel that the deep words that emanate from their pages should not be missed. Or maybe my steps are ordered. Better still, maybe it's both of those reasons.

Today, for Guest Blogger Friday, I'm featuring one of my favorite bloggers, a Nigerian Blog Awards 2010 nominee for "Most Intellectual Blog"- Doug. I once read his blog post, "Call Me "Man," and I Shall Love You for It" and it made my head swirl in appreciation to God for using him to write a post that pierced my heart.

On the Matter of God's Blind Side: 

[Image by Danny Night]


‘I know...that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’ Revelation 3: 15-17

Of my many quirks, I have found that the tone and content of my dialogues is the most likely to get me on the wrong side of persons whose acquaintances I have just made or who have newly been elevated to a nearer rung within my concentric circles of intimacy. 

I find that I generally ask questions that require a person to place himself on either side of an ideological fence as it concerns the matter in consideration. This unsettles people because though they like to profess rather dogmatic opinions on broad topics, when the scope is focused on specific sensitive matters, they will often balk rather than expose their opinions to scrutiny.

Even the smarter ones demonstrate the very same queer propensity to scuttle for the fence using nonsensical post-modern constructs like “political correctness” or “progressivism”, thus implying that the morality of the matter under deliberation be regarded subjectively. The world appears to have been colonized by subjectivists and cultural relativists, leaving proponents of any kind of moral absolutes running for cover. These people hold that no moral absolutes can exist since a variation in opinion will dissolve the truth in question, making it effectively relative.

Even Christians Do It Too:

This ideology has seeped so deeply into the fabric of society as a whole that even Christians ignorantly profess it with little thought to the significance of this alien philosophy and its total inconsistency with fundamental Christian morals and scripture.

The totality of Christian doctrine is predicated upon the ‘self-evident’ truth of a Supreme God, against whom all points of morality are measured, consequentially generating all absolute judgments. He is the Root of all Absolute Truth. Thus this Truth must be independent, definite, singular and immutable. Black must always be black; cold, cold; white, white and so forth. These foundational pillars of theism are the most difficult for the post-modern man to accept.

The problem with subjectivism is that its concept of truth can become very nebulous. When a subjective person holds a thing to be true, it really has little meaning at all since any change in circumstances nullifies that truth, progressively subjecting the concept of truth as a whole to personal opinion, and will ultimately make the individual sceptical of every truth claim, leading to a nihilistic view of life. Lying would no longer be wrong; the ethics of abortion and embryonic stem cell research would be situational; euthanasia would be economically expedient; homosexuality would be a sexual “preference” and not a sexual “orientation”; the institution of marriage would be optional and so forth.

How is it that a large number of Christians go on about “personal truths” and the culinary preferences of geese and ganders?

‘I know...that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either...’

On the Question of Abortion:

For instance, I have posed the question about abortion to quite a number of women and received responses in the direction of two major extremes; the more radical being that the foetus, being unable to subsist independently of its mother is a ‘parasite’ and expendable, and the less radical being that the choice of termination should be predicated upon many varied reasons inclusive of economic, psychological and so forth, and not on any moralistic value judgments pertaining to the authenticity of the foetus’s life (judgments which they considered to be subjective and outlandish).

However the question this poses to me is that if the life of the foetus IS in fact authentic, and its being DOES in fact emerge at a decisive moment defined as the point of fertilization, then don’t the same dynamics that pertain to all human life, apply to this burgeoning one?

The “Roe vs. Wade” and “Doe vs. Bolton” cases which ignited the pro-choice movement define the scope of extenuating circumstances under which abortion is legal to be “all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age – relevant to the well-being of the patient”. This incredibly sweeping definition effectively legalized abortion on demand in the US for the entire nine months of pregnancy and cast a blanket which enveloped unborn children of EVERY stage within the pro-choice debate.

Consequently, the argument for my friends who consider unborn children to be “parasitic” is expanded to include pregnancies throughout all three trimesters. 

But does ‘feeble and dependent’ equal ‘parasitic and expendable’ (a definition which would include quadriplegics, the elderly etc) or is all life sacrosanct and inviolable? Is the question of life not intrinsically moralistic and absolute?

‘I know...that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either...’

On the Matter of Homosexuality:

On a related note, the ultra-sensitive battle on the matter of homosexuality will be won or lost based on the seductive and ambiguous construct of ‘sexual orientation’. This psychosocial concept has triggered extensive influences on the postmodern man and is thought to be based on credible scientific research. Yet this concept, which strangely is of recent vintage, was an intentional and quite successful attempt to redefine the debate over homosexuality from same-gender sexual acts to homosexual “identity” – in other words, from what homosexuals do, to who homosexuals are.

In the recent past, the concept more commonly employed by the homosexual movement was “sexual preference”. On closer scrutiny, the reason for the shift becomes obvious: “preference” implied a voluntary choice, so the clinical category of “orientation” was more useful in public arguments.

As a result, the prevailing argument becomes that of relegating the matter to a ‘personal’ or relative one instead of an absolute. But what dangers do the complex philosophies of these and many other relativist categorizations portend for man?

‘I know...that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either...’

The Doctrine of Moral Laxity:

In his seminal classic ‘The Abolition of Man’, CS Lewis speaks of the hazards of a philosophy where the very possibility of a sentiment being in itself reasonable or unreasonable, true or false, has been destroyed and can only be established if it conforms or fails to conform to something else. It is a total rejection of ‘absolute value’. It is the doctrine of moral laxity and anarchy and the direct converse of everything that Truth represents, warring ceaselessly with the nature of man.

‘I know...that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either...! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’

With God, Black is Black and white, white:

I took it for granted that my understanding of God carried the implication of comprehensive faculties of perception. Upon retrospection however, I realize that I must have disregarded the point of Him being unable to perceive the colour grey. For you see with Him, black is black and white, white.

Question(s) for the Day: Tell me, what do you think about any of the issues he has raised? Do you think black is black and white is white? Or do you think there is a smear of grey lying around somewhere? And how do you relate these colors to God? 

You can find Doug on his BLOG or on TWITTER @TheArtofMusing. Follow him. Have a lovely weekend readers :)

On Being Scared About Your Ratings Plus 10 More Lessons:

[Image by PhotoRita]

Last night I and my significant other saw "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (that was my umpteenth time). I can't get tired of the story. If you've seen this movie you'll remember that Andie was given a column to write at her magazine company about losing a guy easily. She was supposed to go out with a guy (experimentally) and do all the awful things women do to their boyfriends (crying, asking for a drink in the middle of an important basketball game, replacing plain towels with pink ones and so on).

But the problem was that no matter what she tried to do, she fell in love at the end of the day. Still, her boss wanted her to write the nasty column of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" despite her pleas. She thought about it and eventually threw all caution to the wind. She made up her mind not to care about her ratings anymore. She decided to write her last article for the company and quit after that, and in the article she wrote the TRUTH: how she lost the only person she ever fell in love with.

In any case, this made me think about our own ratings. How much truth do you hide in your social networks just so people can rate you 10 out of 10? Are you yourself or do you try to be like everyone else you follow? Do you care so much about your ratings or do you show the world the things that are really lurking inside your heart? Because at the end of the day, this is what will really matter, what God will find when He searches the depths of your heart:

1 Samuel 16: 7 "For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the HEART" and Matthew 23: 27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Remember this post "13 Sweeter-Than-Honey Lessons"? The lessons below are a continuation of my very whimsical mind and analytical thoughts. I posted these 10 lessons on Twitter the minute they came to me:

Lesson #14: I don't believe in relativism because the truth is constant and doesn't change with our circumstances.

Lesson #15: We don't have to be the super heroes to do the right thing.

Lesson #16: Once we've understood that the arm of flesh is not as powerful as the arm of God, we've moved to the next level.

Lesson #17: If life offers you sour grapes, make some sour grape juice and add two spoons of sugar.

Lesson #18: Be your own worst critic, pass yourself through the fire, and come out as gold

Lesson #19: The panic button never accelerated a page in the life of any human being. Don't use it.

Lesson #20: If your day is not 100% of what you envisioned, you can always make good use of the 60% that came through perfectly.

Lesson #21: People who give excuses before you even get to see their works inflict self-damage upon their own images.

Lesson #22: Our lives are not summaries or blurbs, they are individual intricate scenes merged into a brilliant novel.

Lesson #23: The way you would like others to see your house is how it should be arranged at all times. Same goes for your Character.

Lesson #24: My needs are different from your needs, but together we can tackle each one of them.


Question for the Day: Do you care so much about peoples' ratings of you that you fail to show who you really are (e.g on Twitter and Facebook) AND which of these lessons above mean the MOST to you?

Getting Slain in Your Spirit by Vodka

[Image by TattoedJJ]

As soon as he heard the bad news Dr. Bartholomew Cruz hit rock bottom. He fished for his car keys in his pocket, but they weren't there.

Think, Think, Think. Come on Bart, where are the darn keys?

He searched the length and width of the parlor but the keys were not in sight. Maybe they were on the dining room table. He looked and they weren't there. He rushed in and out of the bedroom, kitchen, laundry room, guest bedroom, basement, and veranda, not stopping to take in a single breath. It was as though the keys decided to disappear into the murky somber thin air.

Wherever he dropped them when he got back home at 4.00a.m eluded his memory. Frustration was pulling at his sleeves with rapid strokes. With all the strength he could garner he kicked the wall four times and cursed out loud.

"Then I will walk, damn it!" He muttered. "I will walk to Bar 67. If I can't find my keys I have my legs!"

He threw open the French doors in front of the house and stepped out into the moonlight. The force of the wind caused the doors to slam shut behind him and he started walking towards the east of Ferdinand street.

As he walked he thought about Lucy, the seven-year old girl who had leukemia. She was his patient. Last night he and the other pediatricians on call had transferred her to the PICU after a successful surgery turned sour. He had double-checked her IV, medication, and most recent medical records to make sure she was stabilized before he left the hospital at 3:30am. He drove back home to take a nap, knowing he would need to get some more energy for Lucy the next day. But immediately he stepped into the house he got the phone call that Lucy had passed away just a few minutes after he left.

The tears now flowed freely down his face, but he quickly brushed them off with the back of his left hand. He couldn't save everyone, could he? But more than that, he couldn't save himself. He was in front of Bar 67 now. He walked in and sat in his usual spot.

"A glass of Hangar One Fraser River please."

One glass became two glasses. Then three, four, and five. Slowly his spirit man became obscure and he faded into a world where his subconscious intermingled with high spirits. He ordered one more shot of Vodka, just one more. As he drank it, his head floated lower and lower, almost hitting the bar top. Eventually, he was asked to go back home but he didn't know whether to walk towards the east or west. He stumbled on in a stupor and couldn't retrace his steps. Finally he just sat there on Ferdinand street, too drunk to even move.

[This is a work of Fiction]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To be drunk is to loose your spirit man. To be drunk is to loose your state of consciousness. It invokes a sudden loss of your humanity and purpose. To be drunk is to make a mockery of the person God created you to be, because in those moments of drunkenness you don't act like yourself.


  • Rather than being drunk with wine, be drunk with the Holy Spirit. Oh, it might sound so cliché but I promise you that it isn't just another clichéd message. It is something that I've experienced. 
  • Rather than making you slip into a subconscious state, an experience with the Holy Spirit will make you more conscious of who you are. 
  • Rather than loosing your direction or momentum, a day with God will help you find your way again.
  • Rather than the emotions evoked by sorrowful drunkenness, a moment with Jesus will give you indescribable joy.


There's no joy to be found in getting drunk with vodka or any alcoholic beverages because when morning comes the sorrows will only resurface. The only One who can truly comfort you is God. He's the one who hides you in a secret place and drowns you in His love.

Question for the Day: Have you ever tried to drown your sadness in something else other than God? 

In the Market Places of Your World They are Waiting For You


[Image by Chronologically]

Save me from the world
I don't want to go out
The world is a scary place
Let me stay in here
In your sweet warmth and safety
Let me hide in here

Save me from the world
Away from all the troubles
I don't want to be a solution
I don't want to be the loser
I don't want to be a topic
Please let me stay here
In your sweet warmth and safety
Let me hide here

Save me from the world
Away from lies and injustice
I don't want to say the truth
I don't want to show the path
I just want to be here
In your sweet warmth and safety
Let me hide here

Many times we are introverts. We get into a comfort zone called 'self-isolation,' a place where no one else exists, but us. And it could be sweet actually. Imagine not having to adhere to anyone's rules or inadequacies. Imagine knowing that we're safe from the world's issues. That we know what we're doing and don't need to influence anyone else, or be influenced ourselves. A place where we can make the world what we want it to be, in our own little corner. It could be bliss. 

However, in order to spread God's love we need to get out of our comfort zones. 

"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all...no man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." Quote by John Donne.

The man who wrote the quote above was a Christian, and at some point in his life he figured that we are not made to live in isolation, but that each of us can revive a long chain of liveliness in the world at large. This is where the popular quote, "No man is an island," came from. I took something out of it: that there is a purpose for which the market place exists. By the market place I mean our businesses, jobs, community centers, families, homes, and social networks. I mean every place where we get to come in contact with other people.

And I believe that now, more than ever before, we need to strengthen the bonds of liveliness, especially with people who are lost or who don't understand the meaning of God's love. Why do we need to do this? Because the times are upon us. We don't have time in our favor. The world needs to see the sons of God right now. I like how Isaiah 61 puts this into perspective: 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives (to tell them they are free), and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." 

This is God's message to the world today, that He can set free anyone who willingly comes to Him. He can give you beauty for ashes and joy for mourning.

In our 21st century generation, this message is what I want my market place to be all about. If you have something that God has given you, it pays you no good to hide it from every one else, because someone out there needs you. That's why you should run with these words...yes, go to your own market places after reading this and present who you really are and what your God-given gifts are. Something inside of you can enrich the poor, heal those with broken hearts, set free those who have been made prisoners by their own hurts, dry up the tears of those who are crying, and make others break into sweet dance. Be a carrier of joy and love...but not just any kind of love, specifically God's love...because His love is eternal and will never end. 

He is the author of Love, His name is Love, and nothing else can give full satisfaction other than His love. I've seen people test the waters, and seen that nothing else satisfies. All is vanity and a chasing of the wind. Only His love will remain and last forever. 


So let us revive our market places with God's Love.

Question for the Day: Do you feel you have a God-given gift to exhibit at your workplace? Don't hide it from the world, they are waiting for you.

The Picturesque Audience of a Single Voice:


Photo by Trotsiland

I said, "Holy Spirit, I can't hear Your Voice."

He said, "Child, I am speaking. But there are many other voices. Which one will you choose?

Then I asked myself, "Which one will I choose? And how do I choose?"

As I spoke to myself in the silence of my room I remembered how Jesus would take off to a deserted place to pray. Sometimes He did this very early in the morning and at other times He went up into the mountain and stayed by Himself all night. Sometimes he entered into a boat and steered it into the middle of the quiet blue-green waters of the beautiful sea of Galilee (like when He heard of his cousin's death). At other times He would gently send everyone away and go up into the mountain by Himself to pray (like after He fed five thousand people with five bread and two fish). I don't know exactly where He went...maybe up the slopes of the Golan Heights toward the east of the sea of Galilee, or maybe Mount Arbel on the west. I looked at the map around the sea of Galilee, but I couldn't tell. Yet, the important thing is that Jesus chose a picturesque audience of a single voice.

He did not go to the temple when He needed silence, the priest on duty that morning might have been burning strong incense on behalf of the people who brought their sacrifices to the temple. He did not wake up His pals either, they may have started with their questions again, "Master, what do we need to pray for?" He also didn't pray in their midst, perhaps He might have woken one of them and caused them to panic.

Instead, He just went away to a place of solitude. A place where not even the winds could interrupt His thoughts. A place that was cooler in the mornings than ground level. He could probably see the whole of Galilee from on top of those mountains, just like we see the landscape when the airplane is just about to land. A serene picturesque audience of a single voice.

There is something about having 100% confidence in the voices we choose to listen to. When Jesus was alone on those mountains, the peacefulness of His own creations must have spoken back to Him in their many languages, and He understood. He was there alone...with God and the Holy Spirit, a unified voice. No other sounds but His. No other words but His. A picturesque audience of a single voice.

So, how do I hear Your voice, Holy Spirit? I know now, can You imagine? There were so many other voices in my head the other day. But I'm ready to drown them now. I'm ready to bring the turbulent storms to silence and hush the winds blowing in my ears. I'm ready to let go of the familiar voices and quotations of what life should seemingly be. I'm back here again in the stillness of my room, and no one else is speaking...just You. I am your picturesque audience and You are the voice. Speak to me.

You should listen to this song: Brooke Fraser: C.S Lewis song (Speak to Me)

Question(s) for the Day: Have you ever battled with hearing God speak to you? Have you ever found the answers in the cool silence of the day? Do you know that when you drown the other voices in your head you allow the Holy Spirit speak to you? He's always speaking, but we aren't always listening until we bring those other voices to silence. 

"Intellectual Complacency – The Zeitgeist" by Eyitemi Egwuenu





Today's Guest Blogger is a young purpose-driven God-chaser, Medical Doctor, dedicated husband and father, great writer, and above all a thinker. I am so honored to have crossed paths with him. This Friday, he has a thought-provoking piece. I pray that after reading this your minds will be enlarged beyond your current scope of thinking:


Do you know what it is to be a Christian? I do not mean a Christian who goes to church at least twice a week – who says “God bless you” at the appropriate points in every conversation and clutches a bible to his chest, his head bowed, as he affects a pious pose for all to see. I do not mean the Christian who reads the bible at least once a day, prays quite often and never misses a church conference.

I am talking of something much more than that – I am talking of a Christian who knows that God created his spirit and, that God also gave him a mind – to think!

That the same God who delights in seeing him study His word, does not forbid him from exerting his intellect on the world, and indeed the universe in which he lives. A Christian who realizes that faith is not necessarily blind and that reasoning and thinking is not “doubt in disguise.”

Why have Christians given up the intellectual turf to non-believers? Through the course of the last century, Christians, for some reason, have slackened their grip in all fields of intellectual discourse – the arts, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics and apologetics. And no, I am not talking about simply going to a university and earning a degree, I am talking about being a “Thinker”.

In our present age, it is no longer considered “spiritually cool” to be a Thinker. Thinking is now looked upon as a sophisticated form of disbelief and an appeal to reason is not particularly welcomed. The bride of Christ has abandoned the arena of Cognitive Revery, taking bogus comfort in the false premise that faith in God, as a rule, must not involve the intellect and reason. There was a time in the not too distant past when the greatest thinkers in the land were men of faith –

Leonhard Euler (1707 – 1783): mathematician and physicist who wrote apologetics and argued against atheists in his time.

Bernhard Riemann (1826 – 1866): mathematician. Described Riemannian geometry, which enabled Einstein’s theory of general relativity. He even tried proving mathematically the correctness of the book of Genesis.

Friedrich Gauss (1777 – 1855): The king of them all. A child prodigy – corrected his father’s arithmetic before the age of three. Made groundbreaking mathematical discoveries while still a teenager. He is perhaps the most brilliant mathematician to walk the earth. He is nicknamed the “Prince of Mathematics” and he believed in an eternal, omniscient and omnipotent God.

Kurt Godel (1906 – 178): Mathematician, philosopher, and logician. He is the greatest logician that ever lived. His Incompleteness Theorem is an extraordinary feat of sublime genius. He once said “I believe in the afterlife independent of theology. The world is rationally constructed, according to which the order of the world reflects the order of the Supreme Mind governing it”

And an atheist is talking about logic? Hear the words of the greatest logician to walk the earth.

Time and space would not permit me to mention Gottfried Leibniz, Blaise Pascal (I could go on and on)

“Modern Christians” have given up the intellectual space and stage that these men occupied and of course, it would not be empty for long – the void has been filled with other ideas, the most pervasive of which is the constantly growing notion that "there is no God."

There are Christians who automatically equate philosophy with atheism – that is how ignorant some in the church have become.

Newsflash!

At least, two-thirds of the New Testament was authored by the greatest Christian philosopher in church history – Paul of Tarsus. Paul debated with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in Athens. What do you think he said to them? He met them on their turf and showed them the flaws in their reasoning.
Paul was a Thinker!

But fast-forward two thousand years later – it is no longer fashionable to think anymore. It is much easier to “go with the flow” to use a popular church parlance. We might just as well emblazon over the doorway of the modern church:
“Abandon Thought all Ye Who Enter Here!” –
That is the new canticle of the “fast-food-generation” church – that is the Zeitgeist – the spirit of the age, of the modern church!

Christians, I implore you all to read! – think! – read! – and think some more!
Think, and you shall find!
Question for the Day: Are you a Christian Thinker or researcher? Or do you leave the 'thinking' to the Theologians?

"He's Not My Father, and He Never Will Be" (An Internal Conflict Scene):

Photo by Jane

I slammed the handset back on its base without a care in the world. With hot tears in my eyes I ran blindly from my living room to my kitchen. The first thing I noticed was the new Oster 16-speed blender I bought yesterday from Best Buy. I snatched it from the wooden shelf on top of the stove and slammed it hard on the Mediterranean ceramic kitchen floor tiles. The cover of the blender fell off. I lifted it again and flung it across the room. This time the glass broke into several large pieces and the stainless steel blade fell out. Without thinking I pulled open another shelf and pushed all the glassware so that they fell onto the floor tiles as well. Down came crashing seven beautiful tall wine glasses. In my anger I left the broken mess on the kitchen floor and ran up the stairs to my bedroom.

I was breathing heavily now and my sanity was gradually returning. I sank deep into the folds of the bed with my face buried in my pillow, and I let the tears pour out like crazy torrents of rain. Down they came like streams flowing into an endless ocean. Crying like a baby who desperately needed a change of diapers was what I was doing, but there was no one here to hearken to my cries. Eventually, I managed to turn myself around to lie flat on my back, and I began to stare right up at the ceiling as if to search for answers to my questions. Maybe the tears would drain back into my eyes. And maybe, just maybe, the hands of the clock will suddenly start to tick backwards and that phone conversation would never happen. Why did he call me? Why? The conversation was replaying itself in my head as I faced the ceiling.

"Ibsituu..."

"Yes? May I know who's calling please?"

"Ibsituu..."

"This is she." Bad feeling. "But who's speaking please?"

"Please forgive me."

"Who is THIS?"

"Please, will you forgive me?"

"If you don't tell me who you are..."

"Ibsituu, it is I...your father."

Silence.

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. All I could hear were the hands of the clock.

Then even more silence.

"Look here mister, whoever you are...I want you to know that my father is dead to me. I haven't seen him in over twenty years."

"Ibsituu...please."

"Don't you dare call my name. You're not my father. And you will NEVER be. Do you hear me? You will NEVER be."

And that was how I slammed the phone on him and proceeded to destroy some of my kitchen items. And now, I'm lying here on my back staring at my bedroom ceiling.

As I continued to stare at the ceiling the tears stopped falling and the answers began to come slowly, one by one. But there was this statement that stood out from all the rest:


“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you" Isaiah 49:15

Reiterating those same words to myself and substituting the woman in the scripture for my father, I said to myself, "My father forgot about me these twenty years but God surely did not forget."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This fictional post was written in participation of the "Internal Conflict" blogfest hosted by The Alliterative Allormorph. This was my first blogfest ever. I hope you enjoyed the story. As you know, a question usually arises:

Question for the Day: Where there ever moments when you thought your parent(s) forgot all about you? The bible says that they may forget, but God will never forget. Your name, believe it or not, is inscribed on the palm of His hands.

"On Being Like the Radical Jesus:"

Photo by dhammza

He was obviously on the edge about something.

"Would I have enough strength to do this?" big boy asked himself for the umpteenth time. Every walloping step he took was like a super-collosal burden; sort of like walking on a bed of hot glowing coals and flinching with every forward movement. Opeyemi Johnson was a burly guy, hence his nickname "big boy." But although he looked as fearless as an undefeated warrior, he still had the softest of hearts. Although he looked like he was submissive to no one, he still bowed down to God each morning before doing anything else. Although he looked like he had no heart, he was usually the first one available when a need arose. He was dedicated to God like a sheep to his master. He was a scholar of sorts and diligent in God's Word.

But today he was very afraid. Afraid that if he told his pastor what he really thought about the church system here he would be rebuked. Should he walk up to the pastor's office and share his radical thoughts? Who was he anyway? Should he speak of change in the midst of conservatism? Should he deliver his out-of-the-ordinary suggestions? Would his opinions even matter or would he be kicked out to the dust? Should he just leave and go back home?

These were the questions plaguing his mind at 6 o'clock in the evening...questions that made each step feel like he was nailing Jesus to the cross over and over again at Calvary. So he stopped prowling and sat down on one of the empty pews to think about his decision once more. Was it really worth it? Maybe he should just be like one of the masses and let the matter rest!

***Fiction***

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Radical Moments of Jesus:

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish: Jesus was going into the temple as usual. This time He saw people buying and selling as though the temple were a marketplace (it was probably a regular thing too). But radical Jesus did something about it. He began to drive them out of the temple saying, "It is written, "My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."" Luke 19: 45-46. 

Business With Bad Samaritans: The disparities between the Jews and Samaritans started because of a debate about "the right place to worship God." The Samaritans were descendants of a group of Israelites who had a connection to the Babylonian exile. They claimed that after Moses erected the tabernacle on Mount Gerazim, priest Eli decided to leave the holy Mount Gerazim and erect another tabernacle and illegal priesthood on the hills of Shiloh (Wikipedia). So to them, the Jews had an illegal priesthood and they couldn't do business with them. So they kept to themselves. Turns out that Jesus, the radical Jew, met a Samaritan woman by a well and knowing her origin, he still talked to her and offered her the living water of God (kingdom business). John 4:1-26.

Healing on the Restful Sabbath: According to the Torah, God's people must rest on the seventh day (as in not do anything). Still, radical Jesus healed people on the Sabbath day. It felt like the perfect time to heal to Him, and so He told the lame man to "rise up, take his bed, and walk." John 5:1-15. He also healed another man with dropsy on the Sabbath day (Luke 14: 1-6). 

Walking on Non-Human Territory: Human beings walk on land. We have two legs: we were made for dry ground, and dry ground was made for us. Oh, but radical Jesus chose to walk on water on a certain night because He needed to reach his disciples (they had been waiting for Jesus to return to them after going to a mountain to pray by Himself). He had to get to them somehow, and He wasn't about to wait for another boat- John 6:15-21. 


The only times He was conservative was when it came to the Word of God. He never went against it. Everything else will pass away some day, but the Word of God will never change. It will be here even when you and I are gone. Question for Today: If you identify something wrong in the body of Christ will you be radical enough to do something about it? 

"Thirteen Sweeter-Than-Honey Lessons & An Intelligent Answer"

Photo by Yuga

I am one of those people with the most random crazy/absurd/insane thoughts in my head sometimes. Thoughts that make my heart skip a beat. Eureka moments. Live-changing discoveries. Mundane things. That was how I started tweeting my #Lessons, and yeah I think they are sweeter than honey. *Blush*

So these are the words that came to me as I sifted through my day-to-day activities this week- through the sunny episodes, rainy days, and cloudy moments. As for the "Intelligent Answer," it was by Albert Einstein when he was a little boy. I found it on Doug & Danny Bagucci's joint blog >>> "The Think Box." Here we go...

This Week's Tweeted #Lessons:

Lesson #1: Faith should not be a hindrance to research what you believe. "Get wisdom, and in all your getting, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7

Lesson #2: When you say, "I love you," make sure you mean it. Love involves sacrifice & not mere words.

Lesson #3: "Patience is the companion of authentic faith"


Lesson #4: Be everything you speak so passionately about. Your words 'r' you.

Lesson #5: Just be still always. No storm can take you down.

Lesson #6: Stopping to appreciate nature, even something as small as ducks swimming, is worth it.

Lesson #7: Don't shun the #typeofperson willing to take you to the next level.

Lesson #8: Stay close to the #typeofperson who will make you dream bigger than your imagination.

Lesson #9: All things are publishable, but not all things should be published.

Lesson #10: An idea written on paper has so much potential than when it's floating around in your head. #Inspiration

Lesson #11: It is an excellent thing to constantly rejuvenate yourself- physically, spiritually, and materially.

Lesson #12: Google changed the world; so can you.

Lesson #13: "Do not weaken the verb you choose by qualifying it with an adverb" (origin: theoldsilly.com).



And the Intelligent Answer?


Question For the Day: Which of the #Lessons mean the most to you? And what do you think about Einstein's smart answer? Have a lovely God-filled weekend guys. If you haven't, you should read the previous post on "Tell Me About Your Late Night Dream."

"Tell Me About Your Late Night Dream"

Photo by Dimitrios
Tell me about your late night dream. The one in which you were at a world summit in Tokyo. You spoke about world peace and world wars, and how the two must coincide. You told your audience that life is really black and white, and that if we look closely, there are no shades of grey- only the two choices we have to make. Your 3,600 membered audience stood up to give you a standing ovation. You smiled and told them that it was Jehovah (God) who saved you from your own wrong choices. And they cheered even louder than before...they were inspired to choose life.

Tell me about your late night dream. The one where that little boy ran up to you. You were taking your mid-day stroll on 15th avenue as always, and he was sitting at his spot as always- with his red plastic cup in front of him. You smiled at him as always, and he averted his gaze as always. But on this day he did something different, he grabbed his plastic cup and ran up to you. You stooped down on the dusty tarred road and hugged him tightly, his germs and all. You called your company and told them that you, their CEO, won't be in for the meeting at 2.00pm after all. You put the little boy in your convertible and ordered the chauffeur to take you back home. You gave him a shower and a big plate of food. You asked him what his name was, and he answered with the food in his mouth, "Josiah." Then you proceeded to take him to the orphanage home you built three years ago with your God-given resources.

Tell me about your late night dream. Oh, this one is one of my favorites. You wake up early in the morning at 5.00a.m. You put on your running gear and head out of your house. You jog for miles, passing buses and cars. You stop at the zebra crossing and make your way to the other side of the street. You finally take a break, you are in front of your favorite cafe and you want a sandwich and Starbucks coffee. As you sit down to eat your sandwich, you look at two women on the table beside you. One is laughing and the other is reading out loud an excerpt from a book. You look closely and notice the cover of the book is red with circles in front, and the book has your last name plus your first and middle initials. You smile to yourself and remember how long it took you to put your ideas into that book. But the Holy Spirit intervened because the message was not for you, but it was for the world. You finish your sandwich and leave the cafe with the biggest grin on your face.

Tell me about your late night dream. It was probably so big you can't possibly recapture all.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


It is good to dream, for if you have no dreams you have no vision. It is good to think, for what good is your mind if it cannot think? As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. You are all you will ever dream about. You are all your mind will ever dare to think. You are emotionally set to dream big. Your mental capacity has been given to you by a God who created you in the image of Himself. You have the MIND of Christ.

But Your Life is ALREADY Happening, Not Only in Your Dreams:



You are already BLESSED! Yes, in the little you have, you are blessed. Your life is unfolding as you are reading this blog. It is happening even at the second you stop reading and walk away from the screen. Your life is happening right now. So, the things you are involved in NOW will determine the future. Yes, you can dream big and have great visions. But DILIGENCE is the issue #1 today. The things that are in your hands right now are sufficient for the day, and they require your diligence. If you're working hard with your little visions now, God will give you bigger visions. He who is faithful in little, God will bless him with more (Luke 19:16-17).

So I dare you to live your life NOW:

Your life is already happening. Be intimate with God now, not later. Give alms to the poor now, not later. Be a role-model to your friends now, not later. Help the helpless right now, not later. Start writing your book now, not later. Start writing the details of your first business now, not later. Start getting your first millions now, not later. You have the desire, start working on it right now. Start flying in the economy class to orphanage homes now, not later. Start what God spoke to you now, if it is in your power to do so. In doing so, you are sowing seeds for your future. For do not be deceived, whatever a man sows, that is what he shall reap. Some wait a million years, and the time never comes. Like Kelly Clarkson sang, in a moment like this...some people wait a lifetime. Don't wait a lifetime because your life is already happening. Sadly so, tomorrow isn't sure. The very breath of your existence should be relevant to your generation NOW, not later...

Let no one despise your youth...but be an example in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12). You can be an example right now, in your youth.

Question for the Day: "Are you living your life with what you have and with how old you are right now, or are you living in la la land (dream-land)?"

"Hey, You've Gotta Pick The Road Less Traveled"


Photo by Obo-bobolina

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” 
-Robert Frost


If you ever try to be someone else, you'll only be second best. If you ever walk the same path as someone else, your footprints will form a different pattern in the sand. If you choose to adopt the same motto as another, I'm telling you that you'll become a carbon copy at best. If you ride the same horse that wins the race every first Saturday in May at the Kentucky Derby, you won't have the same emotional moments as the horse's main rider. Your experience will be different.


This quote by Robert Frost propelled me to begin to reflect on "individual purpose." Why did God make us unique? Why should we follow the road less traveled? There may be different interpretations for that quote, but this is how I saw it: 


"Each of our foot prints are different, and there must be something unique about all of us. And if this is correct, we cannot spend our whole lives following the paths that the masses have traveled."


Wait a second...No, I haven't forgotten the words of Ecclesiastes Chapter 1:

 "That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which may be said, "See, this is new?" It has already been in ancient times before us."
Of course, there is nothing new under the sun. Why? Because everything that was made by God was put into place way before you and I were born, and there have been many generations before us recycling principles upon principles of life. Still, we are unique because we are relevant to our generation, not because we're inventing something new out of the skies.

A 3-point Summary:
#1: There is Nothing New Under the Sun:

It is true that there is truly nothing new under the sun. Everything we have on this planet was put into place on the very first day of creation. Our fore-fathers found ways to survive; look around you, today we are still finding multiple ways to survive. Those before us had a form of government or hierarchy; today we have various forms of government. They cried out when they were hurt; we are human too, so we cry out when we are hurt. The elemental principles of life haven't changed.

#2: Amazingly, Still You Can Take the Road Less Traveled:

The fact that there is nothing new under the sun does not mean that you are not unique. There's something about you that you have to showcase for God's glory. You have a unique identifier because you were built to take the old things and place your footprints on those old things. The roads less traveled are the brand new ways in which we handle old affairs in our own generation.

We were not created to take the roads that others have walked, even though their own paths will always be there (this is not a call to be radical and not follow those great words of wisdom from those who have gone before you; rather, this is a call to find out what your own unique purpose is in this world). Out of six billion, eight hundred and seventeen million, three hundred thousand people (U.S Census Bureau of world population), YOU have a unique DNA...and a unique path to walk even within the ancient paths that will always be here.

#3: And Why Again Do You Have to Be Unique?

I decided to ask hubby this question and his response to me (paraphrased) was that God created us in His image, and He is unique. Since He is unique, He also made us unique. And our uniqueness is to showcase His glory. Imagine if each one of us showcased our unique abilities, wouldn't God's glory easily radiate and fill the entire earth? Again, more than ever this means that we need to find our unique purpose and walk in it.

Question for the day: What does the 'road less traveled' mean to you and do you feel the need to find it? Thanks to everyone who participated in the "True Celebrities" series *Grin*. I learned a lot from you. Happy Monday Everyone. May your path shine brightly before you :)