Posting my pictures on Facebook is something which is not new to me.
Sometimes, some persons describe me as bold because of how I unashamedly upload my pictures on my social media handle, despite my closed eye.
I have learnt not to be ashamed of my appearance.
Never be ashamed of a disability or physical challenge that you have. Disability is not ‘Inability’. That you are Physically Challenged does not mean you cannot pass the challenge of life.
Learn how to appreciate yourself. Do not give room for a low Self-esteem. Love and admire yourself. You are unique and special!
The reason why you feel bad when people make mockery or fun of you is that you have not yet come to the point of admiring yourself.
You are still insecure and you give ears to what people will say because you have not discovered how special you are.
The difference between a crippled that is making waves in life and the one begging at the road side is the mind-set. One has a positive mind-set about life and the other has accepted failure.
No one can verbally intimidate you if you are proud of your outlook.
Until you start admiring yourself, nobody will admire you.
You are handsome and beautiful irrespective of your look. People that will love you will love you, but love yourself first.
Self Talk is the act of having a conversation with oneself. It is like having a discourse with your very being.
Self Talk is very necessary, because it allows us to explore the vast, unreached expanse of our minds.
As humans who have the talking ability, we are fond of speaking outwardly to people around us very often.
The average human talks for at least 30 seconds every minute he is awake.
Speaking to others is a good skill, but the ability to speak to ourself is a blessing.
The way we talk to others can be altered or enhanced by the way we talk to ourselves. We bless or curse others by conversing with them. But self talk is a way, of reawakening our inner awareness and enriching the quality of our minds.
Self Talk can also destroy one’s mind. It can be a person’s defeat or victory. It can be a source of faith, or a food of doubt. It either empowers you, or immobilizes you.
It all depends on how you utilize this great activity.
We all engage in self talk consciously or unconsciously.
What do you say to yourself when you made a mistake?
What do you stay to yourself when you fail in task you were assigned to do?
What do you say within you when you are assigned a task that seems too difficult?
These minute statements we make within us, actually affect our mind’s creativity even more than we can imagine.
Negative self talk is equivalent to releasing acids to kill the potentials and vast propensities in your mind.
Positive self talk is equivalent to fertilizing your mind for creative thinking and Imagination.
When you make mistakes, instead of condemning yourself and calling yourself names, gird your mind.
Say within yourself, ‘This was a mistake. Mistakes are inevitable. I’ve learnt my lesson. I’m gonna correct this and move on’.
Self-criticism will not make you better. It will only make you very rigid in your endeavors simply because you are trying to avoid a repetition of your past mistake.
But when you make a mistake, and you have recognized it, and you have repented of it, do not criticize yourself anymore.
Strengthen yourself with self talk and move on.
Do not wait until people call you special, before call yourself. Do not wait until you are praised, before you give yourself kudos.
Be the #1 fan of yourself. Be your #1 friend. Be your #1 cheerleader.
These things matter more than we can ever imagine.
A wise man once said, “It’s not what we say out loud that really matters. It is that which we whisper to ourselves that has the greatest power”.
The way you speak to yourself, determines how much you value yourself, and how much value you place on yourself will determine how much value people will place on you.
From today, speak Positive things to yourself and to your family.
Instead of saying, ‘I am broken, scathed and weak’, say, ‘I am Healing. I am recovering. I am strong’.
Renowned Author, Edward Mbiaka, once said that, “Positive self-talk is to emotional pain as pain pill is to physical pain.”
I’ll wrap up with this quote from Germany Kent;
‘Convince yourself everyday that you are worthy of a good life. Let go of stress, breathe. Stay positive, all is well.’
Recently, I was meditating on the interior anatomy of man. I scrolled around Genesis, and observed that after creating other animals and man, God told man to dominate and subdue everything He had created.
I was highly appalled at this occurrence.
The Lion is one of the strongest animals that has ever existed. The roar of a lion can be heard more than three miles away. A Lion’s bite can tear into even the thickest of flesh.
With these mighty features of a Lion, God gave man dominion over it.
The Elephant is probably the largest elephant in the world. It weighs scores of kilograms. It’s trunk is so strong, that it can lift heavy cars and destroy even houses with it.
With these frightening features of the Elephant, God gave man dominion over it.
Time will fail me to make mention of the likes of the Tiger, the Swift Cheetah, the Cunning Hyenas.
Or is it the snake, with venom that can cease the pumping of the heart within seconds?
God gave man, a frail creature made of dust, dominion over all these animals.
This means there was a distinguishing factor between Man and these animals.
It also means that man had something higher than the attributes of these animals.
He did not have a thick skin like the Elephant. He did not have speed like the Cheetah. He did not have ferociousness like the Lion. He did not have a venom like the snake.
But man had a gem. A precious one.
God created man with A Mind.
The Mind is the greatest treasure man has ever had. The Mind is unlimited in its propensities and potentials.
The more you task your mind, the more it produces some of the most fascinating of imaginations.
The greatest of scientists and inventors all worked with their minds.
If you want to succeed in Business and in financial independence, you must be a master thinker.
The Mind is one of the busiest laboratories in history. I call it a laboratory because it is the place in which analysis is made and inventions are birthed.
Yet, you can take control of your mind, and so task it, that it becomes a near-omniscient force for you.
The mind, like the human body, has muscles. It has what is known as FACULTIES.
Each of these faculties are very important in living with an unlimited mind.
They must be developed by your intentional efforts.
I was with a friend sometime ago, and she was reading the book of a renowned Author and she said, ‘God just blessed this man with a great mind. Look at the marvelous works he is producing’
When she said it, I smiled. But now, I realize that she was wrong.
God never created anyone with a sharp mind and then create others with a less sharp mind.
Every child is born into this world void of knowledge and wisdom. The only thing scriptures tell us, that resides in the heart of a child is foolishness.
Any man you see with a swift memory, an astute reason, a Powerful imagination and an unparalleled reasoning, wasn’t born with it.
He spent time investing in his mental wellbeing.
How much have you invested into your mind?
Many believers invested in their phones. Some of invest in their physique. They do all possible to develop a tanned body outlook.
But how well do you exercise your mind?
Until we begin to take these things seriously, we will remain reactionary believers rather than proactive believers.
Netflix will come with their Antichrist inventions, and we’ll wail and curse and turn into weeping prophets.
After a while, we will rest.
The US Democrats will come with their astute, cryptic election winning strategies, we’ll cry, wail and then, become silent again.
Charlie Charlie will come. We will cry, wail, call it demonic and horrific and use the biggest Spiritual terminologies, and then, everyone will rest again.
Satan will keep pushing his agendas, and all we will do is to criticize and write long, forgettable Facebook articles against it.
Because we have failed to train the weapon of incredible inventions, THE MIND.
The secret of every great writer, inventor or creator, is their ability to use their Imaginations to conceive unsearchable secrets.
While meditating on this subject, I realized that a lot of us have lost the Imaginative powers we had as kids.
A child can look at a paper, and without any foreknowledge or past knowledge, see that paper as a tool for making an airplane.
Based on that inner insight, the child will take the paper, and convert it into a airplane.
How? The Imagination.
A child will look sand, and see it as a tool for building.
He will bend down, not minding what you think of his actions. He will proceed to take the sand and begin to mould it into a ‘house’
Some will even add gate and windows.
How on Earth would a child conceive the vision of making a house with sand?
The Imagination.
Your Imagination is more important than you estimate it!
Mr Fast and Mr Food had great controversy on the earth that it’d reached God’s hearing. He came then to intervene in the dispute, bringing peace. Below is the case in a court where God was Judge, to bring peace;
Mr Food: My Lord, Mr Fast here in his excess kills men. He makes them weak and kills them. I save them. Thus, he should be done with.
Mr Fast: That’s not true my Lord. It’s Mr Food in his excess that kills men. He makes them fatigue and kills them. That’s why doctors always tell their patients to engage me as to clear the toxins that Mr food has placed in them.
Mr Food: What!!! That’s not true. Can they fast without haven eaten. Can they live without eating? You don’t even stand a chance against me! The Lord didst plant all trees in the trillions and made animals in the billions all for men to engage me(feed). Why should they then leave me for you and lay waste all the Lord has made them for their consumption?
Mr Fast: It’s you who don’t stand a chance against me. In the Lord’s sight, I’m of more value than you. Now Mr Food, a question for you. Does the Lord eat? Of course not!
Did the scripture not say men were made in His image and likeness and are His children? Of course! Now if He doesn’t eat and men are His children, made in His image, why should they? Aren’t they missing something?
Perhaps a truth when they eat that they’re not supposed to? There’s a realm the Lord operates in which His people and children has got to operate in as well otherwise, they’ll just keep on eating, not realizing themselves.
Mr Food: You’ve asked me yours. Now, I ask you: ”When the Lord Jesus came to earth, didn’t He eat? Did he fast everyday? I thought you said he doesn’t eat? I just think you’re just under deception Mr Fast which does brings men to destruction.
Mr Fast: It is you who is under deception Mr Food. You used the Lord as an example and I will too. With what did He begin His ministry? Food? Of course not! For the power and Life He sought, He did with a fast! Do you think men can access the Lord’s depth with you? Of course not! It’s I they need. Enoch, almost always! Moses, 40days. Elijah, 50days. Daniel, 21days. Esther, 3days. The Lord Himself, 40days! What does that tell you Mr food? Watch out the lives of these people that engaged me if they remained the same… How about those that engage you? Anything changes? Nothing of course except toxins added to their system. That should tell you why they need me and the Lord ever recommended me to them.
Great tension arises in the atmosphere between these two opponent. Thus, the Lord steps in to settle them,
The Lord: Let the dispute end. Let me come in:
You all should know that I did all at creation and made no mistake. I made food for man and not man for food. I made fast too for man.
As my word says, ‘a time to eat and a time to fast’. Man shouldn’t eat all the time nor should he fast all the time.
I never intended food for man as he’s spirit but nevertheless, I made food still for him as I gave him flesh. As long as he’s on earth, he’ll need food or he’ll die.
When he returns to me, he won’t need food as I originally designed but will live in fast. Till then, as long as he lives on earth, he should do both in proportion. For stability, he shouldn’t eat than he fast nor fast than he eats.
In all, they should do whatever either eat or fast to my Glory. That’s what truly matters!
God made man into two unique and distinct personalities, the male and the female. This two personalities are to work together and complement each other. The female is given the ability to carry a being in her and give birth.
A human female who gives birth to a baby and parents a child is called Mother. You now get to know that it’s not just about giving birth but parenting. It’s much simpler to give birth than to go through the process of parenting.
Many ladies have chosen to give birth and leave the children to fate and chance.
If you don’t want to go through the process of parenting a child, birthing him doesn’t fully make you a mother. Should the child grow up, whoever he sees as his mother is the one who parents him.
Motherhood is a good thing that comes with a great responsibility. A true and real mother possess certain attributes other than being the entrance gate of the child. You as an upcoming mother or a mother presently should see to it, that you possess these qualities;
1) ABILITY TO NOURISH –
Nourishment is not just about providing food with the necessary and healthy nutrients. It is to cherish and comfort, to promote growth and supply means of increase.
You cherish your seed (child), possess a strong affection and love for him, you are always there to comfort him when facing challenges and issues in life. You are interested in the things that brings about his growth, this is who a mother should be. These are characteristics found in a mother who nourishes her children.
As a mother, you shouldn’t leave your children in the hands of strangers like domestic home workers e.g maids.
You should know the kind of food and snacks they consume to know if it’s good for their health. You should know when your child is having struggles and challenges, be available, you are a mother.
The ideal mother should be able to provide healthy food and snacks made by her for her children. You shouldn’t expose your child to eat things from outside that are poorly prepared with no nutrient value. Make time, put your own made snacks and food in his lunch box. Be responsible for what your child consumes.
There are jobs that you shouldn’t get involved in as a mother. Any job that will take you away from your child, make you an alien to your child is not worth it. You might work your ass out daily to provide enough for the child but what happens to the mother child bond?
You notice that there is a big gap between your child and yourself. You loose your child to frustration and sadness. Every child wants that motherly attention and affection, he need a mother who will be there to understand and comfort him. Are you fulfilling this role? Do you possess this quality? Is your child, the child put into your care being nourished??
2) TENDER LOVING CARE –
This means to look after, be mindful of, pay close attention and concern towards a child. It is a considerate and compassionate care, being fond of, loving and gentle towards a child.
Why would you be proud to answer ‘mummy’ to that cute baby girl, yet, you aren’t mindful of her, you pay no attention to her, anything can happen to her for all you care That is not a good quality of a mother. If your child can be going through a situation but you don’t notice or have a knowledge of it, it means that you pay no attention to the child.
Whatever you are fond of and love so much, should always be your priority.
Do not say to Carl “I love you my angel, kiss, kiss” when you do not show any evidence of your love.
How will she believe that you love her when you are so fond of your phone and laptop?
Are you compassionate and considerate towards the child, do you care for the child? Are you aware of your child’s problems and what are you doing to solve it? Do you observe your child? Can you answer the question, who is your child?
A mother should know who her child is, you should be deliberate and consciously observe your child, get to know your child. Create that bond and closeness. Care for your child , be soft on the child even when giving correction and disciplining him.
Calmly, mildly and gradually deal with his flaws and faults. Be gentle with him.
3) ABILITY TO TRAIN –
To train is to teach, to bring up one according to right laid down principles, to impart knowledge. A mother spends greater time with the child than others. She is responsible for the child’s upbringing .
Your love for your child is not evident in the over pampering the child to destruction but it’s in the teaching and guiding the child to know what is the right. The manifestation of any child shows the if he was trained or not. Training also involves educating your child formally and informally.
You shouldn’t train your child according to what you feel is right but what is absolutely right in the sight of God. Your mistakes should be a reference point of guidance. Fan to flame the potential and skill that you have discovered in the child.
1 Timothy 1:5 (TPT) 5 as I think of your strong faith that was passed down through your family line. It began with your grandmother Lois, who passed it on to your dear mother, Eunice. And it’s clear that you too are following in the footsteps of their godly example.
You can understand how important it is for a woman to know what it is to be a mother. The faith and salvation of Timothy was as a result of his mothers, from his grandmother to his immediate mother. These mothers laid down godly example to train Timothy bringing him up in the way of the Lord.
Timothy’s mother and grandmother understood his talent, his calling and guide him through till he became a teacher of the word. It’s your responsibility as a mother to know your child’s talent, potentials and calling. This will be a blueprint for your counsel, guide and prayer for your child.
Proverbs 22:6 (TPT) 6 Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.
You dedicate your child to God but it doesn’t end there. Direct your child, train him up in the way he should go. Your child will be very observant, learning the little and big things you do, will you be proud if he displays such publicly? Remember, the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.
Being a mother comes with extra carefulnes because you are moulding and patterning the life of a person, all you do and say is being inculcated into the child. Learn what is right and sound as a mother, your child has to have good values.
Psalm 127:3 (TPT) 3 Children are God’s love-gift; they are heaven’s generous reward.
You as a young lady is a mother and should take the place of a mother towards the children around you. Treat the children like you would treat you own child. These children are gifts from God. If you are a guardian to any of them, treat them right. Stop the maltreatment and wickedness you met out on them.
These children are blessings to you, when they are grown you will see the fruit of your labour.
Pray for help to carry out the responsibility of a mother. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you build in these qualities.
Communion with The Holy Spirit refers to a state of fellowship with Him. It is that blessed Union we have with the Holy Spirit. Communion with The Holy Spirit is both an activity and a life.
It is something we experience when we pray and study our Bible. Yet, it also a reality in which we live in daily.
Communion with The Holy Spirit is the continuous flow of wisdom and love from The Holy Spirit to us, and our alignment and Obedience to the desires of The Holy Spirit.
It is Intimacy with God. This precious Spiritual disposition, is the essence of Christianity.
Beyond the body of rules and regulations, dos and don’ts, the climax of Christianity is an uninterrupted flow of thoughts between God and man.
Communion involves a close interactions which exist between or among people who have common aim and interest.
Therefore, communion with the Holy Spirit is an intimate interaction or engagement via the relationship which the believers have with Him.
1 Corinthians 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY GHOST, be with you all. Amen”
The grace of Jesus and the Father’s love, will be outlandish to us, if we do not have communion with The Holy Spirit.
If there is no communion, we will not be able to feel, understand and manifest the indwelling presence of God domiciled in our being.
Galatians 5:16, 25. “This I say then, walk in the Spirit…. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”
From the aforementioned scripture, we see two terms used to describe this communion with The Holy Spirit.
Paul uses the words, LIVE and WALK.
Videlicet, Paul was admonishing the Church to live, continuously, a life of intimate fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
It will be very evident that we are communing with Him, if we’re living in His ambience and walking on the pathway of the kingdom under his leadership.
This begins immediately after repenting from sin and receiving Christ by faith.
Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, ‘REPENT, and let every one of you be BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ for the REMISSION OF SINS; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit comes into our lives as emblem or seal of our redemption in Christ. When we accept Him, He becomes the one in control of our lives. He constrains and restrains us in our dealings with both man and God.
John 14:26: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 15:26: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me“
John 16:7: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
Even Jesus acknowledged the need for His Church to have daily communion with the Holy Spirit.
Hence, in three chapters of John, He spoke extensively of the need of The Holy Spirit, and the role He will play in their lives.
After one has been born again, The Holy Spirit begins to teach one, the ways of the kingdom. He teaches us the Principles of God’s kingdom.
On our part, we submit to His dictates and deliberately allow Him to lead us.
How does one live in communion with The Holy Spirit?
One can live in communion with The Holy Spirit by studying the Word of God, fellowshiping in church with other brethren, and praying continually.
When one does this continuously, The Holy Spirit will keep nurturing one’s faith, as well as open one’s eyes to behold wondrous things out of God’s word.
This is the sweetness of Communion with The Holy Spirit. It gives us access into the deep thoughts of God. It makes us to know God more.
Let us seek for this blessed Communion with The Holy Spirit. Let us not be so entangled in worldly engagements that we ignore The Holy Spirit living in us.
Beloved reader, if you have not experienced this Spiritual bliss; if you do not yet know this ecstatic reality of communion with God, I beckon on you that wherever you are, you ask The Holy Spirit for this communion.
It is not reserved for a special few, it is meant for every child of God to enjoy.
There are several factors that can change people. There are several factors that Influence the evolution of man’s personality and culture. These factors are so numerous that they cannot be listed exhaustively.
Yet, they can be categorized into three Es.
These Es can change people both positively and negatively. They can be either good or bad influences on people.
A. ENVIRONMENT: The environment in which we find ourselves in life matters a lot. This environment could be in the aspect of people, places or things. But whatever it is, it has to change first before our lives can change.
The environment in which we live has a great effect on how we function in life.
For instance, a fish cannot function in land nor can a bird in water. If a fish must excel and live at its best, it must be in the water.
Do you want to live a great life?
Then you must create the right environment for greatness.
If you want to live free from depression and pain, then you must surround yourself with an atmosphere of positivity and joy.
In several places in scriptures, we find validity to this fact. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, discover that whenever God wanted to make a precedent through a man, the first thing He did, was to separate that man from His past environment.
God desired to bless Abraham, but before doing that, He changed Abraham’s environment.
He said to Abraham, ”Go ye out of your father’s house to the land that I’ll show you”.
He changed the environment first from his father’s house to another land where Abraham could conform from his father’s culture, to God’s own Culture.
The same could be said for Moses.
God wanted to change his life but to do that, He had to change his environment from Pharaoh’s house to the wilderness and then with the Israelites, where he could live the life God had predestined for him.
If you want to succeed, you must live in a successful environment. You might find yourself living amongst the heathen like Daniel in Babylon, or Joseph in Egypt. But you have the choice to make on the people, things and information you allow into your personal space.
2. EXPERIENCE: Experience might not be the best teacher, but experience is definitely a valuable teacher.
Truth is, you’ll know best what you’ve experienced yourself. There are certain things in life you cannot know from books, lectures and mere education. You can only know them from experiencing it yourself.
Experience goes a long way in shaping the inner and outer disposition of people. There are ladies who are very hateful towards men generally, all because of having fathers who bullied their moms while growing up.
Experience can also affect someone positively. The trials of David were meant to strengthen him for the tasks he would face and the wars he would fight as king.
So when God wants to change a man’s life, He’ll sometimes let them go through certain things that’ll serve as a means of prevention of the recurrence of certain errors they’d gone through, which eventually would have them changed in life.
C) ENCOUNTER: This one is Divine. It speaks of when men meets with God, or with Angels who are sent on God’s behalf.
An Encounter with God is enough to change your life instantly and forever.
In the scripture, Jacob as we all know was a cheat.
But after he encountered God in Genesis 32, he became Israel.
Moses was a mere shepherd, keeping the sheep of his father-in-law, even living in Jethro’s house. But an encounter with God transformed him from a shepherd of sheep, to the shepherd of a Nation; from a mere man, to a ‘god to Pharaoh’.
In Judges 6, we find Gideon hiding in a threshold, away from the oppression of the Jews’ enemies. An Encounter with the Angel of God, transformed Him from a hiding Jew, to one who led the Jews into Freedom and religious reforms.
These three Es mentioned are very essential for a transformed life.
You must have godly environment. An environment that will spur you to greatness. Not your mere external environment, but your personal space.
Move with the Great. Befriend the wise. Learn from the Experiences of others. And most importantly, spend time in God’s presence, beholding His glory, and encountering His wisdom more and more.
Psalms 91:11: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways”
Psalms 34:7: “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”
From the aforementioned Psalms, we realize that every believer has several angels assigned to him. The Essence of these angels aren’t to provide fantastical dreams and encounters for the believer. Rather, they are to ensure the will of God is carried out in that Believer’s life.
The Bible does not admonish us to pray to Angels. Yet, we can engage their ministry by Praying in the spirit.
When we pray in tongues, we are speaking Mysteries, and there are Angels who ensure these mysteries are brought into light.
Psa 103:20: “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word”
Angels hearken unto the Word of the Lord. The more you declare God’s word over your life, the more of Angelic ministrations usually unseen that you will have.
Angels are not man’s servants. They are God’s servants. They are not here to carry out our words, they are here to carry out God’s Word which we declare.
Angels are limited to the Will of God. Do not expect an Angel to do a command that is out of the will of God.
Nevertheless, the most important thing to know is that every believer is surrounded by Angels. And the ministry of these angels can only be activated when the believer prays in the spirit and speaks God’s word.
He loves, He cares, He is passionate, He looks beyond our weaknesses, He sees beyond our condemnation.
He became everything, So in Him, we lack nothing!
In sickness, His stripes became our solution. In confusion, He is our ever sure way. Worried about safety, then He tells us “He never sleeps nor slumbers”
In chains and bondages, we look up to Him and He shows up as The Great Deliverer!
Oh what an insurance we have in the only begotten Son of God. In Him, we have been given the right to become sons and daughters of the Great King. Abba! Father!
Yet again, even now, Strength and Grace will rise, When we all look unto Him for life.
Yet again, can we trust in Him? Christ, The Saviour and King!
KOINONIA ART 