A Little Light, Please

I was not ready for 2018.

I woke up one morning in December 2017 shocked to find that there were only a few days left in the year. At this time, I had a lot of things that I wanted to sort out before the end of the year. Instead, after some soul searching, a long phone conversation with an old friend, and a quick face-to-face one with one of my teachers, I knew that there was no way I could tie up all the loose ends.

I felt like an athlete at the starting point of a marathon, who stoops down to lace up her shoes at the exact time the starting gun is fired.

And I pause, wondering if I should back out of the race and just go home.

How do you win when you are already so far behind at the very beginning?

Or maybe, I should just lace up my shoes and run at my pace.

Give me a little light, please.

So, 2018 happened to me.

I chose option two, but did I really? The race would go on anyway, and deep down I knew I had to dust myself up and try, at the very least.

So, I kept it simple with only one resolution for starters. I would add the others along the way.

Now, January has come and ‘is going’ and I am doing this little reflective piece. I worked most of January and must admit that it has flown by pretty quickly because I was always working. However, it’s been a great month as I have somehow, through God’s help, stayed on track with my resolution (minus three or four days). This is pretty good. We are celebrating small victories this year right?

There were a few surprises this month also, particularly at work.

This has emboldened me to make an actual list of the-things-I-want-to-do-in-February.

Give me a little strength, please.

My favourite Bible verse in January is Matthew 16:19 (MSG): “You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A Yes on earth is a Yes in heaven. A No on earth is a No in heaven.”

So YES to a beautiful new month.

Yes to clarity and boldness, as God’s Light shines on our Path and leads us safely through the darkest nights.

“Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light,” Genesis 1:3

This post is inspired by the writers at shelovesmagazine.com. There’s a whole month of beautiful and inspiring writing on this topic on their website.

A few short stories from long ago

Thirst - the poem

I imagine how you would taste

Are you a hot cup of Earl grey on a snowy winter’s day

Or a tall glass of ‘ice water’ under the Abuja sun

I know I want more than a taste

I’m thirsty and I need a drink

This sounds a bit lame

You’re looking out your window at another

I’m sure she’s had a taste or drink or whatever

She’s close to the waters how could she be thirsty

But I’m thirsty and I need a drink                                                                                                                                                                                 

I wonder if you are the ocean or a calm clear lake

Would you be salty or natures divine spring

Would my thirst be quenched; would you I be left wanting for more

From the look in your distant eyes it might be the latter but

I’m thirsty and I need a drink

So I move closer and offer my cup

You turn to me and my knees go weak

Its fair weather but I feel both a shiver and a fever

You pour your drink and my lips quiver

I’m thirsty and I have a drink

Sweet, the taste of your nectar on my tongue

Salty, I’m not sure if it’s my tears or you

I drink up as fast as I can and hold out my cup to you

But you’re gone

Hot, I knew it, you felt more like Earl grey than cold water

Cold, the way I feel now that you’re gone

Salty, it was you all along! What have I done?

I’m still thirsty and I need a drink

........................................................................................................................................................

Tears

Do not ask me not to cry

I cried after the surgery

When the meds wore off

It hurt long after the knife left

It hurt after the scar was formed

I cried before time healed the wound

I cried when Mariah left Nick

So I beg you

Leave if you must

But do not ask me not to cry

........................................................................................................................................................

Letter from my diary

I long to know the words your lips are afraid to say

Words your mind is scared to form

So I wait for you

Hoping you’ll somehow be brave enough to let the pen write

And you’ll write without thinking; with lots of feeling

Words you do not know yet

“I can handle it”, I whisper

I’m not like that gossip, your computer

Share your secrets with me, no one would ever know

Facebook will never know

Fill me up, file me away

Lock me up if you please

But write in me

Release them

Words left unsaid for far too long

Long before he left

I saw the fear in your eyes when he slammed the door

The night you lost your voice

“Dear Diary...” I hoped you would write

When you looked at me, and flipped through my pages

But you turned away

You need me

We both know this

Write in me, no one would ever know

File me away or tear me to shreds

At least you would be free from the words burning in you

Write, baby, write

I see you typing away on your keyboard

Traitor

........................................................................................................................................................

Rain

“Every time it rains, I fall to pieces

So many memories the rain releases...” Ace of Base

I remember the wine and ‘missing cake’ from all those years ago

The cake got smashed up, you said

Just give it to me like that, I thought

I remember the surprise gift and visit

I remember the promise of forever

I remember the pouring rain

And the time I danced in the rain

I was cold

But there was a fighter within,

“You won’t defeat me!” she roared

I learnt to ignore the rain

Plod on in spite of the storm

And appreciate the good days

Those rare occasions when it didn’t rain

But today,

“I see dark clouds out my window; I know the storm is coming any minute...” Ace of Base

And it makes no sense, but I feel Hope

Hope because God knows, He feels, He hears

Hope because He cares, He loves, He answers

“Look, here comes the very first drop...” Ace of Base

I am ready

.............................................................................................................................................................

Dance

My voice is out of tune and my steps are without rhythm.

I would love to hit the right notes, the high ones, the impossible ones.

Sing my song with the passion, skill and energy that would make you all stop and stare.

But I cannot.

It’s a complicated melody. 

I need a lot of training, practice, discipline. 

I need a vocal coach.

Maybe next year, I’ll sing better. 

Then I will sing louder and shout from the roof tops.

Maybe you would hear me then.

I keep trying to find my rhythm.

I know I will dance better when I find a drummer.

We would practice together as I dance to the beat of his drums.

And sing without missing a beat...

Not today.

All I have is a song.

My voice may be a little out of tune and my steps without rhythm, but my song is perfect. 

Travel diaries - Jerusalem, the City of Gold

I left a piece of my heart in Jerusalem and one day, I will go back for it.

I have not been around the world yet but I feel like I can tell you that Jerusalem is one of the places you should visit before you die. True. The city is stunning and full of so much beauty, history, culture, diversity,  and so much more. It is also a living and breathing city. I mean, every day, regular people wake up in Jerusalem, go to work in Jerusalem, go to school in Jerusalem, sleep in Jerusalem. Imagine living next to all that awesomeness!

Prior to my visit, I knew very little about Jerusalem, besides what is written in the Bible. Also, I was not raised in a Catholic or Orthodox church, so I knew next to nothing about the stations of the Cross and all the Holy sites and relics in Jerusalem. So I joined a tour bus so I would learn about the city and have people to take pictures of me. The tour guide warned us that we would be walking for hours as the streets of the old city are very narrow. I like walking so initially, I did not mind. Then I found out that I had underestimated the sun. There is Abuja sun and then, there is Jerusalem sun.

Anyway, the weather was so hot that at some point, I had to lean against a wall and close my eyes to rest for a little while. I opened them to find a group of tourists/pilgrims pointing at me and the wall behind me. Startled, I quickly moved away and realised that I had innocently been leaning on the 'Hand of Christ' imprinted on the stone wall. The story is this; while Jesus was carrying the cross on the way to Golgotha, He was very hot (burning), and tired. So He stopped and rested His hand on the wall at about the same spot I was standing. His hand left a mark on the stone. That mark is today called, the Hand of Christ.

The Hand of Christ

Seventh station of the Cross

So, let me tell you a little more about Jerusalem. I only visited the old city which is the one in the Bible. Today, there is also a new city which is much bigger than the old.

Jerusalem, like life, is a city of hills and valleys. It is also a city of gold because the buildings literally shine like gold when the sun hits just right. This is because for thousands of years, every building has been built with the same 'golden Jerusalem' stone. There is even a legislation for this. This is very beautiful and even though it is very different, it reminded me of my second home, Aberdeen, where all (well almost all) the buildings were built with granite.

Jerusalem is a culturally and religiously diverse city divided into four major quarters, the Armenian, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish quarters. There are no gates between the quarters and you can practically slide from one to the other. Most of the time there is peace between the different religious and cultural groups. However, it is important to note that the police and border police are fully armed and everywhere.  Also, only a few weeks after I visited, there were riots and violence in the city.
Side note- most of the policemen and women are unbelievably young, fit and very very fine.

So what did I do in Jerusalem apart from taking a long walk? I visited the empty tomb of Christ, the church of the Holy Sepulchre, the wailing wall; I walked on the streets following the steps of Christ, shopped for souvenirs, ate 'fake' shawarma, learnt about the city and took loads of pictures.

... And I found the immovable ladder! When I took the pictures, I did not know the significance of that ladder. Just learnt that it has been in the same exact position since the 18th century! It is not glued to the wall, but cannot be moved because you need all the responsible churches to reach an agreement before you move anything in the building.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Peep the ladder beneath the middle window on the top floor.

The Church is beautiful

I feel like I need to go back to fully experience Jerusalem; I hope I do. One thing is certain though, I love Jerusalem.


Tips for when you visit
1. Be prepared to walk. Do not forget your bottle of water at home and remember to wear a hat, pair of sunglasses, comfortable clothes and shoes.
2. Do not wear shorts or sleeveless dresses because you may not be allowed to visit some of the Holy sites (but some people will not hear word)
3. In the words of my fellow Nigerians, SHINE YOUR EYE when you are buying souvenirs. The sellers will try to rob you blind and I was a victim. Insist on paying in shekels rather than dollars when you can, and always compare the prices in two or more stores before you buy anything.
4. That thing they call Shawarma is not your regular Nigerian Shawarma. You will be disappointed o.

Broken

Andrew’s lawyer’s voice jolted me out of my reverie. I only heard the last part of the question.

“...do you agree that thirteen million naira is fair?” He asked.

I blinked and hesitated, but three pairs of eyes were watching me, waiting for a reply.

I nodded.

“But...” Stephen, my lawyer started.

I shook my head and gently touched his arm.

“It is okay,” I whispered.

Andrew looked at me in disbelief, as if he had expected me to protest.

I tried to catch his eyes, and for a moment, held his gaze.

I looked away in shock as I realised there was nothing for me there. Not in his eyes, not in his life. It was almost as if all we had shared had been never existed.

After thirteen years together, my soon-to-be ex-husband and I had lost everything.

Thirteen years ago, when he said ‘I love you’, I knew that he meant it.

Now, there was nothing.

I remember exactly where I was, and what I was doing, when my phone screen broke for the very first time. My precious Samsung S4. It happened on a Saturday morning while I was in Gee’s house getting ready for Tolu’s birthday party. I noticed that the screen protector had somehow peeled away and covered less than fifty percent of the phone. Irritated, I striped it completely off the phone. Thirty seconds later, there was a loud thud. My erstwhile crack-free phone had slipped and fallen on Gee’s hard tiled floor. When I picked it up, there was a long diagonal mark stretching from the top left side of the screen to the bottom right.

I do not remember how the second, third, or thousandth crack happened.

Today, I can’t use the front camera because it is all smashed up, the bottom left and right sides are completely gone, and every day, tiny shards fall from the screen.

“Tomi, I’m serious, I used to run 6 kilometres every morning,” I insisted, when I saw the look of disbelief on her face.

“You?” She replied, “Pictures or it didn’t happen.”

I sighed, “You know I don’t have a phone right now. Seriously, I was dreaming of running marathons, climbing mountains and so much more. I even wrote a blog post about it here.”

“No jokes. So what happened, why did you stop?” She asked.

I shrugged.

Truth is, I do not know. I even bought new exercise outfits, shoes and all, to encourage me. However, there is no motivation.

I think this is because beneath it all is a voice that says I can’t.

A voice I have believed.

It’s not just about my phone or my exercise routine. There’s other stuff like my thoughts, emotions, diet, routines, social media usage that I feel I have no control over.

I remember how I went from cheat day to every day, from portion control to ‘Please I am hungry’.

Now I cannot find my way back.

I knew that I wanted to go to the beach in Tel Aviv. I knew what bus to take, thanks to Google maps. However, after waiting at the bus stop for over one hour, I realised that I needed help.

I ignored all the older people at the bus stop, hoping that the girl whose t-shirt read ‘here to have a good time’ would be able to interpret the Hebrew bus signs for me.

“Do you speak English?” I asked her.

“No” she replied, “No English.”

“Ha! I am in trouble today!” I thought.

Finding English language speakers in Tel Aviv, for me, was like rolling dice and hoping that like Katniss Everdeen, the odds would be in my favour. Everybody spoke Hebrew. So, I learnt a few words in addition to Shalom, which means peace.

For example,

Good Morning – Boker Tov

How are you – Ma Nishma

Thank you – Todah

So imagine my surprise when I learnt that this language was basically dead for hundreds of years. Hebrew is now spoken by the overwhelming majority of Israelis, but it was dormant for many years being used solely for ritual and scholarly purposes, until the 19th century. This is the only ancient language to be resurrected this way.  Amazing right?

See the story in the picture below.

This gives me hope that one crack or multiple cracks shouldn’t end it all.

That even though I feel lost and out of control, like the prodigal son, I can find my way back.

And if dry bones and dead languages can come back to life, then dead marriages and fitness goals can.

I will.

It’s about time I start believing the voice that says the truth.

“I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

P.S. I eventually made it to the beach, and as you can see from the header, it was worth all the trouble.

Pictures: Sophia's new phone  

Train Lady

We met at the train station so I guess it is fitting that I am writing this on a train, on a rainy day in May.

This was not the original plan.

It has been sunny most of the week and I had planned to visit and write about one on the most beautiful places in Scotland on Earth.

But, no, it is raining. It has been raining all day and I am three-quarters full of coffee and jollof rice, in a train coach shared with a group of raucous millennials.

The sun was shining brightly over the shire, the day I met train lady.

We met on mother’s day. She was on her way to lunch with her children and grandchildren, while I was travelling to church for the yearly special mother’s day service.

Our conversation started the way all great British conversations/friendships/marriages start; with the weather.

“Beautiful day today, isn’t it?” she asked.

I smiled and nodded.

Seven years ago, I would have groaned inwardly at the obvious attempt at small talk. Now I know that there is always something to say about the temperamental Scottish weather. Like now, why is it raining? Why can’t we have no more than one season in a week, or even a day?

We chit-chatted for a few minutes, and when the train arrived, I chose to sit beside her.

She was born in the little town I work in. She’s native, I’m a recent immigrant.

She told me about growing up beside the sea some sixty-odd years ago. “We played all day by the seashore, well, every day except Sundays.” She said.

She talked about her loving but principled father.

“Life was much simpler then,” she said, “we had rules we had to obey, but we knew we were loved.”

She smiled when she reminisced about falling in love at the age of sixteen, with a seventeen year old Frenchman.

About how they built a home and business together, and the good times they had.

She looked away, but not before I saw a lone tear roll down her cheek.

She talked about his recent death.

“Life is hard,” she said.

But she was grateful.

“The grandchildren make it easy,” she whispered.

My eyes watered and I looked away.

I had heard some bad news only that morning.

“Life is hard,” I echoed.

We talked about happier things and times.

“I have been very lucky,” she said.

“You have been blessed,” I thought.

We got to our destination and said our goodbyes.

“Why are your eyes red, Sophia?” Tami asked when I got to church.

“Well the dress code is a touch of red isn’t it?” I made a feeble attempt at a joke.

Five hours later, I started the journey back to my little town.

A couple of minutes before the train pulled out of the station, a group of people got on my coach. The train was almost full, but there was a spot beside me.

She slipped in; the lady from the train station.

“Fancy meeting you again; this must be fate.” She smiled.

I smiled back at her.

This is God.

She showed me the gifts she got for mother’s day.

I showed her the gift I got from church.

“Life is beautiful”, I thought, as I looked up at her smiling face. She looked very different from the lady I met in the morning. I was changed also; a burden had been lifted in church, a prayer had been answered.

Life is hard sometimes. That is why we were never meant to go through life alone.

Isn’t He aptly named Emmanuel?

God is with us.

Isaiah 7:14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

The Rookie Traveller

On Monday, I successfully planned and executed a solo trip without getting lost, missing my appointment or failing to catch any of the four perfectly timed trains and planes.

Amazing right?

I was so chuffed that I gave myself a very generous pat on the back.

Haha

Turned out the pat may have been a little bit too generous.

On Tuesday, ladies and gentlemen, ‘things fell apart’.

You see, I made a rookie mistake – I bought the cheapest ticket I found. At the time, I felt I was saving loads of money and gaining yards of wife material.

Twenty-four hours layover? No problem. I’d sleep on one of the super comfy sofas at the Airport.

However, I made one good decision. Actually I made three; I wore warm clothes, remembered to pack my favourite novel (Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett) and loads of mint.

The journey was okay at the beginning. The last time I passed through Schiphol, the airport was being renovated and I didn’t like it very much. Now, I loved it. That airport has almost everything; library, ‘green area’, hotels after security, massage chairs scattered around, vibrant colours and restaurants where you can sit in actual teacups!

There’s also the craziest thing- A ‘real-time’ giant clock where a man paints the time minute by minute by hand. It looked so real that I couldn’t help wondering whose brilliant idea it was to waste scarce (lol) human resource this way. It’s actually a video which you see here.

The perfumes at the duty free shop were cheap compared to the high street and the two other airports I passed through so I got a really good deal.

However, I was unable to charge my phone because I did not have a Europe complaint charger. Maybe I didn’t search hard enough. Also, I didn’t sleep through the night because I found the chairs to be quite hard.

The following morning, it all went downhill. Or uphill depending on whether you are a realist or optimist.

Turned out I could not fly with the ticket I bought (long story), so I had to get on another flight. This was after I spent a considerable amount of time explaining to the extremely handsome officers that I had made a genuine mistake with my booking. The most painful part was that I didn’t even have time to put on some lipstick and spray some perfume beforehand. But I popped some mint so that was good.

I finally got on another flight to Lagos instead of Abuja. This was not too bad because I had planned to go to Lagos anyway.

Got to Lagos after approximately 36hours or travel to find that one of my bags had been totally wrecked and the other was lost in transit. Like everything that could go wrong went wrong.

But thank God...

-          Found my bag the following morning; nothing was stolen from either bag.

-          Got to spend 10 days with my favourite people- family, friends and loads of babies

-          Made new friends yay!

-          The weather behaved throughout... I even got some Abuja thunderstorm lol

-          The food

So yeah I had an awesome holiday and I am grateful to God for life, journey mercies and everything in between.

Psalm 121:4,5 Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord Himself watches over you (me)! The Lord stands beside you (me) as your (my) protective shade.

Doors

I never learnt to shut the door behind me. I remember Aunty Bimpe scolding me for leaving the door open. I must have been five or six years old at the time. The freshly made pot of Ogbono soup had been left on the cold kitchen floor, with the lid covering half off the pot. We had not had electricity in months; this was how we preserved our food. I left the back door ajar so the flies came in and rendered the soup inedible.

“When you do not close the doors, Sarah, the flies come in. The rats and cockroaches also...” Aunty Bimpe said.

I shuddered.

I am afraid of rats.

Two weeks later, I was home alone with Aunty Bimpe. I was asleep and Aunty Bimpe wanted to go to the market for some groceries. So she put me in her bed, locked the door, and went out.

She met me in tears, screaming and banging on the door when she returned.

When you left the first time, I didn’t shut the door behind you.

Things had changed forever.

You could no longer be mine.

I could no longer be yours.

But I left the door open.

You slipped in easily that Saturday night.

We talked about the past:

The suya spot where you kissed me for the very first time,

The park; where the words ‘I love you’ slipped out of your mouth for the first time. You looked as shocked as I was.

The church, during Jide and Toyin’s wedding. You looked at me and your eyes echoed my thoughts – ‘Soon’.

Then you left before midnight.

You always leave before midnight.

The preacher walked by my window at exactly 6am yesterday. Five years and he has never missed a day or been late for his early morning sermons.

“Do it for the pounded yam and egusi soup in your future; not the suya in your past.” He said.

I smiled.

The preacher always has the right word for me.

I shut the door last night.

The monsters crept out from the shadows reminding me of that unforgettable day so many years ago.

“You are alone. You will always be alone.” They taunted menacingly as they closed in.

I shut my eyes and tried to remind myself that the voices were only in my head.

Then I heard his voice.

“Do not be afraid, I will never leave you nor forsake you”.

The preacher, for the first time ever, was preaching at night.

Bible references: Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6,8 

Hello Inverness

First, a bathroom selfie! Because when you take unplanned journeys, unplanned bathroom trips happen.  Also because large mirrors are a solo traveller’s dream come true.

A few weeks ago, I got a free return ticket to Edinburgh, valid until the 28th of February. So the initial plan was to wake up very early today, take the first train out, visit the zoo +/- the castle, and take the last train back home. While planning the trip, I discovered that I would not be able to return on the same day due to many issues which I won't bore you with.

So, Plan B! I decided to try to change the date on the ticket to a more favourable one. Unfortunately, this was not possible and I could not get a refund would also. Anyway, that's how I found myself on a train to Inverness to avoid losing the ticket altogether.

Look what I found in Inverness (minus the warm bread roll I got when I asked for a PANINI :( )

River Ness

Faith, Hope and Charity. Actually, That's Charity on the left (caring for the child), Faith in the middle (with the Bible), and Hope on the right (providing a much needed anchor for the soul). We already know Charity aka Love is the greatest, right?

And I took the best long walk ever. Cue in Jill Scott's a long walk (without the lover :( ) So much Green!

                                                                           
Still a lot of grey and naked trees. Hauntingly beautiful.

And a monument for the brave ones who laid down their lives during the first world war.

Not exactly the right pair of shoes, but I wanted to rest the sneakers.

And I'll be starting my diet tomorrow (side eye yourself), so I bought this! I had the best caramel latte today to warm up for this. Oh yes, I also got a size 8 shirt to inspire me. I kid. I kid.

I really enjoyed my short impromptu visit to the capital of the Scottish Highlands! This country is so fine when the weather is not trying to kill you.

Hope

Hope: A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.

I have a lot of expectations and desires. I am hoping that many (good) things will happen to me and for me this year. Three major expectations stand out. These three have somehow moved from the region of things that I want to happen to things that I need to happen. I spend many hours thinking about them, worrying about them and praying about them.

Maybe I spend too much time thinking and worrying, and too little time praying. I don’t know.

Have these things become so important to me that I have lost sight of other more vital things? I don’t know.

In the past week, I have met a number of people with similar desires, people who need the same things that I do. As we talked, many feelings were expressed. Feelings of despair, discouragement, depression, hopelessness, resignation...

I remember asking how the non-Christian copes with this burden because I draw my strength and hope from the promises of God.

But I cannot say these feelings have not crept in. When we feel that we cannot wait anymore, what do we do?

What do we do when our faith is tested?

When all we have to lean on is God’s word even when we cannot see.

When we have to shut out other voices and believe that in spite of it all, God loves us and is always with us.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

Oh, help me to believe Lord.

But we are not without hope. I guess that’s what makes the difference between the believer and the unbeliever.

We have hope in God. And God never fails.

Psalm 16:9-11

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will rest in hope.

For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

So I'll stand like the tree in winter; shed all my leaves but stay rooted. I'll wait for the rain because surely, spring will come, the rains will fall, the sun will shine. My leaves will be green again.

And one of these days, I will say these words: “I remember when I prayed for the things I now have”.

Picture: http://quotesgram.com/hope-quotes-from-the-bible/

First date diaries – Ida and Tola

Uncle Bola had forgotten his wallet at home. When Sisi Yemisi entered the shop with her cooler of hot soft Moimoi, he had turned so quickly that Stan very narrowly missed nicking his ear. As Sisi Yemisi sashayed into the shop, Stan wondered if Uncle Bola was more interested in the seller than the product.

“Ha! My daughter, how are you doing today?”, Uncle Bola smiled at Sisi Yemisi.

But Sisi Yemisi rolled her eyes and stared pointedly at Uncle Bola’s wedding ring.

“It is two for 150 Naira Sir, things have cost.” She replied.

“Ahn Ahn, you cannot answer ordinary greeting again shey? Okay give me four”. Uncle Bola put his hands in his right pocket to retrieve his wallet. Then he searched his left, back and breast pockets. Then he got up and shook himself, hoping somehow that the wallet would drop to the ground.

Then he remembered.

He had left his wallet on the coffee table after paying the maiguard that morning.

By this time Sisi Yemisi was eyeing him suspiciously, and Stan was regretting the fact that he had not enforced the pay before service rule.

“No vex abeg”, Uncle Bola started, “when I go home, I will ask Tola to bring the money for you, and you too Stan”.

.....................................................................................................

Ida was sick and tired of best man duties.

Ida was sick and tired of being sick and tired of best man duties.

And the rules kept changing. According to the #BenZee17 Groomsmen planning committee, the best man had to buy wedding shoes for himself and the groom, while the groom would buy the suits.

“Which kain scam be that?” He fumed as he drove home.

Anyway, this would be the very last time he would ever agree to be a part of anybody’s wedding party. Ever.

His phone rang. It was Ben, the first (or second) half of #BenZee17. Ida considered ignoring the call as he could not trust himself to be courteous after spending the previous two hours trying to convince the other groomsmen that wearing peach coloured suits was not a good idea.

But he shook his head and picked his phone. Ben was after all his best friend, never mind his choice of ‘other’ friends.

“Ida, please I need a favour. Zee’s car is at the mechanic’s workshop and she borrowed mine after dropping me off at Stan’s shop. She is running late and I know it’s on your way. Please if you don’t mind, can you give me a lift? We need to talk about the wedding anyway and catch up on stuff. Is that okay?” Ben asked

“Sure Bro, I’ll be there in 5 minutes.” Ida replied

.....................................................................................................

It was her eyes, he thought to himself some days later.

She had paused at the door, scanned the room quickly, settled them on him briefly, before making a beeline for the barber.

For a moment, he was puzzled. She had looked round the room almost passively, as if she couldn’t see anyone. Almost as if she just wanted to deliver her message and leave the room as quickly as she had come in. But she had hesitated when she saw him, he was almost sure of this.

He felt certain urgency when she turned to leave the room.

Against his better judgement, he got up, leaving a puzzled Ben, and ran after her.

When she turned and smiled, he couldn’t speak for a moment.

“I was right, you saw me in there, right?” Ida said.

“I saw everyone,” Tola replied.

“Fair enough, but I hope you’ll see me again” Ida replied.

Tola smiled.

They chatted for a while and exchanged phone numbers.

Later that night, Ida woke up with a start when he remembered that he had agreed to loan his car to Ben for a whole week.

His mind had been so occupied with the beautiful girl he had met at the barber’s shop, he would have agreed to anything.

Tola.

#To’Da17

“Haha Ida is in love! Who woulda thunk it?”, he thought to himself as he drifted back to sleep.

Glossary of some terms

Moimoi- Traditional steamed bean pudding.

Things have cost-  Times are hard

Shey- Right? 

Maiguard- Security guard

No vex abeg- Please do not be angry

Which kain scam be that- What manner of deception is that?

A Daughter's Affirmation

Allow me to reintroduce myself

I am a little girl who believes

I am a princess
Daughter of the King

Loved and cherished by Him

He would go any length for me

He gave everything for me

He gives all things to me

I am precious in His sight

Of more worth than gold and the most precious stones

Those can be bought with money

He paid for my sins with His very own life

I am beautiful

Fashioned by the greatest artist and sculptor of all

His brush strokes are intentional

Everything exactly right

And He calls me beautiful

I am heard

Though my voice is tiny and sometimes shaky

Even when all I have is silence

Or tears

He hears the innermost stirrings of my heart

The thoughts of my mind

And He answers

I am seen

When I am by myself, or in the midst of the multitude

When I feel alone or invisible

I am still seen

By He who saw me in the darkness of my mother’s womb

When I was yet a shapeless mass of cells

I am seen

By He who gave me form; who gave me life

Who gives me a future

I am led

By He who knows my future

I am known by God

How wonderful is that?

He knows my name

He cares

So I am bold as a Lion

Fearless

Full of Courage and Confidence

I soar as an Eagle

Focused, determined

I fly high

I am surefooted as a deer

I am a warrior

Victorious always

Because He is with me

Yes! The God of the Heavens and the Earth is with me

I am His

He is mine

2 Cor 6:18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.

Psalm 45:13 The King's daughter is all glorious within; Her clothing is interwoven with gold.

References: This is just me reaffirming some of the things the Bible says about me.

Picture: https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/dad-quotes/

Look What I Found!

Two days ago, I went in search of the famous Elgin Cathedral and found Elgin’s best kept secret! I found one of the few Biblical Gardens in Europe! I had not known about the garden prior to that day so imagine my surprise! Yes I was screaming (inside) when I found it.

Interestingly, even though the garden is only officially open to the public between May and September, I found the gates opened and was able to spend a few precious minutes there! Awesome right? Another God-incidence in a month filled with pleasant surprises.

So, the Biblical garden in Elgin was planted in order to bring the Bible to life through plants, sculptures, bible passages and other depictions of notable events in the Bible. One hundred and ten plants mentioned in the Bible are planted here! The cross is at the centre of this three-acre garden which also contains many different sculptures including Jesus at the well (a real well), Sampson, Jesus as the good shepherd, Moses receiving the Ten Commandments, the prodigal son, and many others.

Jesus at the well

The most amazing thing to me is the age of the garden. Planted beside the ruins of the approximately 800-year old Elgin cathedral, the Biblical garden is only 20 years old. This contrast between the old and the new is soul-stirring to me. The old cathedral represents a generation when Christianity played a major role in the lives of the people in Elgin, Scotland and most of Europe. I believe the new garden tells us that the word of God is still evergreen, relevant and alive today.

It is also amazing that the idea of the Elgin garden was not conceived by the church but by the city council. Only twenty years ago, the city council, community, local businesses, schools, and church came together to raise funds and plant this amazing garden centred on the truth of the Gospel. Incredible, right?

This fills me with hope; in this generation where many have turned away from God, God is still able to use people to spread the truth of the Gospel in ingenious ways.

Dorothy Frances Gurney wrote that “One is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.” This may be true because gardens are mentioned numerous times in the Bible; for example God planted the first garden in Eden and put man in it; Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane; and immediately after His resurrection, Jesus was even mistaken as a gardener by Mary Magdalene.

Somehow I believe that even though the cathedrals of old are now in ruins and the old church buildings are being converted for other uses, around us, biblical gardens are being planted on the earth and in the hearts of men. After all, the Bible refers to the hearts of men as soil in which the Lord plants His word (Matthew 13:1-23). The word of God is alive in the hearts of men today.

I can’t wait to see the garden in Spring, Summer, and my favourite season Autumn!

For better pictures and more information about the Biblical garden, please see www.biblicalgardenelgin.co.uk

Pictures: First two are author's pictures, third picture is from https://britishheritage.com/elgin-and-its-biblical-garden/

The Great Beautiful Outside

Calabar, Nigeria

I fell in love with the beach a long time ago. I first went to the beach with my family for a Christmas family beach party when I was a little girl. Many years later, I went with my classmates (twice), a few very close friends and alone. I have been to the beach a lot more times, but these four were the most memorable. 

Until last week.

I remembered my love for the sea last week when I went on a solo vacation. I walked for hours on the beach, dipped my hands into the freezing water, sat on the sea stones, and just gazed across the water.

I fell in love again.

I was inspired.

And I remembered that some of the best times I have had were spent in the great beautiful outside. Some of my favourite pictures were taken outside.

So today, I was going through my photo library and saw some pictures I took in different beautiful places across Nigeria. Nigeria is beautiful and I want to see more and experience more of this beauty.

Warri, Nigeria

Warri, Nigeria

And most times, I don't even have to go far from home for the experience.

Abuja, Nigeria

 

Calabar, Nigeria

I stayed indoors a lot last year.

William Shakespeare said the earth has music for those who listen.

I want to listen, I want to hear, I want to dance and make music of my own. 

One day at a time

It's easy to stay motivated in the first few days of a New year, or the first few days of starting something new.

This year, I want to write one blog post everyday.

This is partly motivated by my favourite Facebook page (NasDaily), where Nas updates one-minute videos everyday. Even though we watch each video for only one minute, it takes the whole day for him to think about a topic, write a script, go out and actually film videos, and edit the videos. I think he said in one of his videos that the hardest part is thinking about a topic.

In the past few days, I have been on holiday so it has been relatively easy to write. Now, I do not have so much time and I don't want to write for just the sake of writing. Can I really write one interesting blog post everyday? 

I don't know.

A Facebook friend said if we think too far ahead (about the things we have to do), we may get scared.

Writing 365 articles is scary. Writing one article a day? Not so much.

Eating healthy for 365 days? Scary. Eating healthy today? Not so much.
Go to the gym everyday for 365 days? Scary. Exercise today? Not so much.

So, I am taking one step a day. Some days I'll take giant steps, but some other days I'll take little steps. I guess that's what is really important; to keep moving.

P.S. I'm really happy today. 

And you really should like NasDaily on Facebook.

And listen to Moving Forward by Mali Music

Picture source: Author

Tides- What on Earth is this blog about?

I knew very little about tides until yesterday *covers face*.

The risk you take when you blog about learning new things is that the readers may already know much more about them than you do. But that’s fine because this is not an educational blog and I am not really aiming to teach or preach. However, some others may not know about them, so yay, let’s learn together.

This brings me to the question I have not really answered, which is, what is this blog really about? What do I aim to achieve by blogging?

A friend of mine started a radio show today and she took great pains to outline and explain what the show is about. I think this is very helpful for the listeners as they know exactly what they are tuning in to. It also helps the show host to remain focused and build followers in her niche.

My pilot blog post was about love, as it should be. However since then I have written about faith, first dates, weight loss, exercise, birds, movies, etc. I have written fiction, truth, and a mixture of both. I have written poetry, essays and stories.

So what exactly is this blog about?

According to my bio, “I once feared that my voice was not strong enough; then I lost it”.

This is true.

Prior to starting this blog, I had a lot of fears about my abilities. I almost did not start because I wondered if anybody would read anything I wrote. But I was just beginning to find my voice and did not want to lose it again. So I wrote. [Thanks for reading!]

This blog was initially about finding my voice. I wanted to be as authentic as possible. I still want to. So I wrote and I still write about the things I care about.

Sometimes I am tempted to focus on the topics that have the highest read stats. But some of the posts I really care about have the lowest L, so I can’t.

I pray this blog is a place of hope, encouragement, learning, laughter, love, and faith. Even though the posts may seem all over the place, I believe each one of them reflects one of more of the above themes.

We’ll have to talk about tides another day.  However, the tide was low today and I was able to see and walk on parts of the beach that I couldn’t see when the tide was high.

I pray that this year, on this blog, we will have new good experiences and walk on pleasant and beautiful places that we didn’t know last year. In Jesus name, Amen.

This blog post was inspired by the beach and my friend Loliya. So please tune in to www.radio31.org every Thursday at 8pm for 'In Conversation', a platform that encourages a reading attitude and knowledge sharing on topics such as personal development, science, and faith. The show will also provide links to materials for inspiration and growth.