How do we know?

On the 16th of October, 2022, Pastor Steven Furtick preached a sermon on The Faith of Abrahan. While going through views and comments from the sermon on an online discussion group, I found something written by Thelma Allen, I thought it was worth sharing:

“How do we know?”

How do we know when we’re doing something in our own strength, according to our own blueprint, like Abraham did with Hagar, or when it’s God that’s prompting us.

I love what Chad said about relationships and how the more time we spend in them the better we know the one we’re in a relationship with. So it’s important with God – to spend time – and the longer we’ve known Him and the more time we spend with Him, the more we know.


It made me think of a verse that has really helped me with this: It’s Jer 29: 13 & 14a – “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD,” I came across another translation once that really helped me: NASB20 – ‘And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will LET MYSELF BE found by you,’ declares the LORD.

I thought about when we play hide and seek with little children and how, if the game depended on them, they’d never find us. We let ourselves be found by them. That game depends on us. And so it is with God. It doesn’t depend on how smart we are to figure it all out. It depends on God! He shows Himself to us when He sees our hearts searching for Him. We can count on Him. We watch over our little children and God watches over us, looking for our searching hearts.

Truth

You speak the truth and you assume that people believe you.

They don’t.

The world is in love with lies.

They are drawn to lies.

They are repelled by truth.

They prefer to hear the lies. It sounds very close to what they believe.

Nevertheless, I choose truth.

Maybe that’s why my mum named me so… Mimi (Truth).

The Nicks

Recently, I randomly stumbled upon a netflix series that premiered sometime in August 2022. I had been looking for a pick me up. Somehow, some where between the end of November and way into December I found myself in some kind of a Television rutt.

For someone who does atleaat one hour of television per day, I realised that I hadn’t done much of it in four weeks.

The series I found seemed just right, slow tempo and not too dramatic to usher me back into screen viewing.

The moment it started, I knew it was going to be a bad ending for nick.

Nick was a guy who loved and stood by Ingrid and supported her through everything but Ingrid always kept a burning torch for Murphy; some guy she had a one time thing with six years ago… and Murphy suddenly starts working at the same place as Ingrid.

Nick is handsome, kind, loving, considerate and very rich. He gets to find out about Ingrid and Murphy in the worst way.

I feel so sorry for Nick and I wonder why even off screen, we find the Nicks who always seem to get hurt by the Ingrids who have their eyes set on the Murphys.

In her pocket

My mom is a mother of four girls. She started the proud trips for the beautiful tradition called Omugwo in 2001 when my eldest sister had her first child, Suur.

Omugwo is an Igbo term for a tradition where a mother, a mother in-law or any close female relative or friend goes to give post-partum care to a new mother and the new born baby. Although this is of Igbo origin, many tribes in Nigeria have quietly adopted and begun to practice this tradition. Most mothers do this with so much pride, they prepare and plan and upon arrival, begin to do ALL the duties in the home while the new mother and baby rest.

Omugwu is not for the lazy or faint hearted. It is expected that whoever takes upon this responsibility is skilled and knowledgeable in the care and handling of new babies and the new mother.

My mother has eight grandchildren. She didn’t make it to all the Omugwu visits, but when she did, she really turned up. She is the kind of woman who gets everything around her done without lifting a finger.  I don’t know how she does it, she just does.

One sure way she has always handled her Omugwo was financially. You could be sure that she was going to make sure everything needed was made available. All she needed was to overhear anyone talking about something that was lacking. She always started with; “How much is it?”

She has not had a chance to make any of those visits for almost a decade. Her last two grandkids will both be ten years old this year…but I know that if she were to ever make an Omugwo trip again, she would gladly turn up with all her support in her pocket.

Words

I have always been fascinated about crosswords. I spent most of my growing up days wondering if I could ever be like my cousin’s mum, Olga. She used to have crossword books and she would solve them page by page. It amazed me more because she was Russian and English was actually her second language.

I never did anything about my fascination for crosswords, infact I remember a little over 10 years ago, I found a crossword booklet but I never went past page 1.

Fortunately for me, our human love for screens has helped lately. About a year ago, just when I decided to do a 50% cut on social media, I decided to get alternative apps for screen time and I was able to get a good crossword game. It has five stages from Easy to Very Hard. Each stage has atleast 50 crosswords, so I have been doing a lot of word crossing for some time now.

Different words; related words, unrelated words, new words and old words, crossing here and there.

That’s how some of us use our words, as though it’s just a game. We throw them here and there… Not knowing and not minding how and where they fall.

The thing about words, is how you just can’t take them back. You say it and that’s it. Some words cut deep, real deep, and it can take a while or even forever for some people to heal.

I believe that I must think before I speak, just in the same way I pause and ponder on my words before entering them in the crossword.

Biblical aid – James 1:19-20

Don’t Rush

I once had a bottle of sprite and an apple. It was given to me at a meeting that I had attended. I wondered if I should eat the apple that night and then have the sprite the next day.

I got home tired and so I left them in the fridge and went to sleep

Two days later, I got an idea, I sliced the apple, soaked it in the sprite and then I put it a cup with a lid. I left it for a whole week without even looking its direction.

One evening. I got home and all I wanted to do was enjoy my apple sprite. I poured some Whiskey in it and I had a pleasant drink.

I called it Don’t Rush

Yeah, I guess that’s how people come up with recipes.

We never know

Farewell tWitch.

With so much sadness, I write this piece.

Stephen Laurel “tWitch” Boss was found dead and it seemed to look like a suicide. In as much as it hurts and kind of hard to believe, it is a reminder to me that the happiest people may not necessarily be totally as happy as they look.

Even though I seem to be leaning towards lots of tweeps saying an investigation should be carried out because “something just doesn’t seem right”, we still ought to realise that people are dealing with a lot of stuff and try really hard not to show it. The world is very judgmental and this makes so many people try to hide their real emotions and fears.

I don’t know what led to his decision but my heart goes out to his family in this very difficult season of their lives.

tWitch was Ellen DeGeneres’ long time DJ and Co-producer, he always had a smile, his dance moves were pretty cool and he really had a way with the fans.

We never know what people are dealing with, let us try to;

  • Realise that everyone has something on their mind.
  • Pay attention and be sensitive to the cares and needs of our family and friends.
  • Be kinder with our words.
  • Render random acts of kindness.
  • Check on our “happy and cheerful” friends and family members too.

Too strong

For my sisters (blood and water)

You know yourselves

Bracing all storms. Working through a headache or even a heart ache. Smiling through the pain. Coming through for people who may be weak/down but who are really doing better than you are, mentally, financially and physically.

People run to you, all the time. They know you are always there, always strong…

There’s a problem with being too strong.

When you break, it sometimes is irreparable.

Some times just let yourself be weak.

You need you more than they need you.

Giving Tuesday

“Mummy, why don’t we have Thanksgiving”?

This is a question i have had to answer every year for the past three years.

Having been exposed to Thanksgiving from the movies and shows he sees, my son always longs for Thanksgiving and all that comes with it, just as he sees it on television.

Although I have told him over and again how it isn’t in our tradition to celebrate Thanksgiving, today I find myself wanting to be a part of a Thanksgiving residue event.

The Tuesday following Thanksgiving has become known as Giving Tuesday. It was founded in New York in 2012 with the purpose of touching and changing lives in the community. I have never really been drawn to it, but as I listened to words of Bobby Gruenewald from today’s youversion word of the day, I felt the need to participate in my own way and in my own community.

What totally got me is the fact that my giving must not be financial. I happen to be a huge fan of the gift of Acts of Kindness.

Is this the same for you?

My sister had a suggestion for a non-financial gift, she said, ” Please let’s be generous with our smiles today. I’ve noticed people are smiling less. Country hard!
Most people will feel better when smiled at.
It won’t pay their bills but it will make them feel better for a while. And it’s worth it” .

Is there someone you can give to today? A smile, your time, a word of encouragement, a listening ear, forgiveness, love, a meal.

While we give, let us remember to keep the left hand from knowing what the right is giving and vise versa. Have a happy Giving Tuesday.

Pairs

George Clooney and Julia Roberts have always seemed like a beautiful pair for me.

My favourite Hollywood pair remains Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, I fell in love with the pair in the movie The Wedding Singer and then in  50 First Dates and then in Blended  but I really loved and enjoyed the humour and chemistry between Clooney and Roberts  in Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Twelve.

As a movie lover, and especially a lover of period dramas, romcoms and the likes, one thing that draws me to a movie is the pairing of the hero and heroine.

Only a few days ago, I came across another poster with the names Clooney and Roberts smiling back at me. I didn’t hesitate to click on it.

I must admit that the movie didn’t stand out as much as I expected it to but I totally connected with the emotions and unspoken thoughts Clooney kept sending out in the movie. He played a divorced dad who had to work hand in hand with his ex-wife (Roberts) to prevent their daughter from getting married to a Bali local.

The pair who never seem to see eye to eye on any matter must learn to work together on this one thing they both agree on. Clooney’s character calls out to me as he seems to be a person who is in touch with his feelings and is also honest with himself as well.

Overall, this new movie ‘Ticket to Paradise’ is okay and can be viewed on a calm evening with friends or alone.

A few other pairs that drew me into a movie are:

  • Julia Roberts and Richards Gere – Pretty woman
  • Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut – The Brothers
  • Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield  – The Photograph

Some pairs didn’t sit well with me are:

  • Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds – The Proposal
  • Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry – Fools rush in

One on-screen pair I still can’t place in my head but totally love is the Renee Zellwerger and Collin Firth from Bridget Jones Diary, maybe the mix with Hugh Grant and then Patrick Dempsey just made my head spin.

Have you any on-screen pairs you love? Share them with me, I would love to know.