“Only love is going to fill that hole. You can’t win enough, you can’t have enough money, you can’t succeed enough. There is not enough. The only thing that will ever satiate that existential thirst is love.” – Will Smith
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/interviews/a9938/will-smith-interview-0315/
After a couple of years birthdays run the risk of becoming a dull affair… Especially when some of life’s challenges are hitting us hard…
No matter how little the gestures involved, being reminded that we are loved sometimes goes a long way in ‘recharging’ us. Those calls, sweet words, thoughtful acts and small gifts… They do more than just make their recipients smile.
My first birthday gift arrived on the 31st of December 2014.
It was the gift of Life.
You see, I had a car accident while driving to church for crossover service. One of the front wheels of the car flew off while in motion on the Expressway… In the midst of other vehicles…
Considering how bad things could have turned out, all occupants of the car (My brothers and I) escaped without a scratch. Even after a drunk driver rammed into the car some 15 – 20 minutes later while I was trying to move it from the middle of the busy expressway. No one was hurt…
So you can imagine my joy at being able to celebrate another birthday. Surely now you will understand my seeming eagerness to say ‘There is a God in Israel’.
Once again, this year I am reminded of how blessed I am… God gave me wonderful people like you as family and friends. You all came through with the calls, SMS, BBM, whatsapp, DPs. You all were just amazing. You made my day memorable with the things you did. Things like
– That wonderful piece Oluwabusayo wrote for me… My baby girl is becoming a better writer than I am o
– This might sound unbelievable but for the very first time, I celebrated my birthday with a cake I didn’t use my money to buy. Thank you so much Oyindamola Oke.
– Again, unbelievably, This Ijebu man ate Pizza for the first time…
– The special care and prayers from my mummies…
I had fun… more fun than I’ve had in recent times
See… I have a lot of stories to tell o… but the long and short of it is that God has really been good to me. He has been faithful even when I wasn’t. He has been keeping me through all the seasons and while I want to show my gratitude to you all, it is to God I want to return my greatest gratitude.
I would also have you know that this God is an awesome God. I can tell you that in him one finds all his desires and more. I could tell you a lot of things about this God but the best thing would be to seek/get closer to him and find out these things yourself. Seriously God is good.
Once again, I want to say thank you to every one of you my family and friends. I am really grateful.
So… I am set to begin another year and I am really excited about it. Why won’t I be when #thereisaGodinIsrael?
What I learned from the whole #TheDress drama in brief.
**Guest post by: Ife Martins.
On a recent road trip, the bus i boarded made a really annoying stop-over to pick up some more-annoying passengers. While we awaited the not-so-VIP passengers, I spotted a filling station with a particularly interesting pump. I approached someone I believed to be the manager from his refusal to dispense petrol for customers and shouting at other attendants, he did not wear a uniform too. I promptly introduced myself and showed him some sample photos on my phone. A quick “can i take a photograph of this pump sir?” request followed and the gentleman obliged. Quickly, I went to the bus and whipped out my camera. I took some shots of the pump (and some of the manager too on his request).
As if the pump’s state and image was not fascinating enough, the manager proceeded to tell me the story of that particular pump. In its heyday, the pump was as effective as any other except that when the other pumps began to falter to a point of putting the station in trouble with regulatory authorities, only this pump still gave a litre as a complete litre. The manager smiled at the pump like a proud dad would smile at a well-behaved child. I hear stories of favorite cars, houses et al… but a pump’s story was a first for me.
Some years ago, it was the truly honest pump among its peers. Now he still bears his reputation even though it will never pump anything as common as ordinary water.
12 pumps in the station but the honest “guy” made it to my heart.
My bus got ready to move, the manager gave me some kolanuts and i said farewell to him and the honest pump.
** You can find the original post here
I love you
Though this a million times I say
I love you
More than you can hear me say
Confusing may be other matters
The heart knows where it belongs
Though the thoughts wander
The heart makes sure it returns
Unto all that love is
I’ll gladly add much more
For me love don’t cost a thing
So long its you I do it for
I love you
This I don’t need a special day to say
I love you
EVERY day
Though we try
Making all the right moves
But the results come out wrong
Though we desire to fly
Soaring high like eagles
But get knocked down by storms so strong
Though we look to the skies
and with earnest hearts pray
But the answers seem to be taking too long
Still we’ll press on towards the mark
We won’t give up, we won’t turn back
Till we get home to him our Lord & King
For with him all of our treasure lies
And upon him we have set our eyes
Every step of the way, God will be the song we will sing…
*Written 2010. Dedicated to Omotola Oni…
Get it the right way and it won’t be hard to keep it…
Yesterday I stumbled over a post by Alex Johnson on the Thought Catalog about losing a friendship by falling in love with each other and later breaking up. I wondered: Is breaking up with a former friend so much harder than with a ‘normal’ boyfriend/girlfriend? And why is that so? My theory is that it’s the friendship part that makes it harder. Because losing a partner you used to be friends with is like ending two relationships at once. Your love is over and at the same time you can’t go back to where you started. You set one foot over the edge and now there’s no stepping on solid ground anymore.
Why is it so bitter when we stop being friends with someone?
The end of a friendship is a quiet death. They are the saddest kind of death because they seem the most meaningless. Love usually ends with…
View original post 425 more words
Quite interesting perspective on postage stamps… I thought those things are (going) extinct?…
That said, I can’t seem to recollect what a Nigerian postage stamp looks like. *sad face*
I was thinking of how to end the year in a unique way…
I thought about it and out of the many ideas that came to mind I decided to use each of the last 10 days of the year to thank God.
My friends on BBM would have noticed my daily countdown PMs starting with ‘I AM GRATEFUL…’
Today being the final day, I decided to do a recap and share with a wider audience…
What are you grateful for?
Here are my Ten (10) days of gratitude:
#10 – I AM GRATEFUL FOR LIFE
• I can complain all I want about how hard life has been this year but at least I still have life.
• Many have died in their sleep. Yet I sleep each night without fear confident of seeing the next morning.
#9 – I AM GRATEFUL FOR GRACE:
• It is my only explanation for getting this far… My only assurance that I’m going even farther…
#8 – I AM GRATEFUL FOR LOVE
• I tried running… I really did… but no matter where I went, no matter how far, love kept chasing. Love kept saying ‘come back home’…
• God is love.
• Every time it happens, I am always amazed at the discovery that someone has reserved special feelings for me. Always… I do not take it for granted.
• Grateful for the times when I found love and the times when love found me. For when I handled it well and for when I managed to screw it all up and lose it.
• Looking back, it could only have taken this special kind of love to forgive my sins.
#7 – I AM GRATEFUL FOR CHRISTMAS
• A time to celebrate the beginning of the most important work ever done… The work of Redemption.
#6 – I AM GRATEFUL FOR FRIENDS
• Real friends…
• Old friends that stayed true, True friends that came new… Special mention: Gbenga, Yanju, ID, Kirk, Adekanola. Brothers (10yrs strong and counting) Soledayo, Buddy, Yomi, Versatile, Aanu, Omotola, Halima, Nancy, Aderanti, Lameda, Afis, Ashaolu, Olufowobi, Adeleke, Seun…
• God is the faithful friend
#5 – I AM GRATEFUL FOR LESSONS
The summary of the many lessons I learnt this year are
• Even if I use my head to roll down Mount Everest, God will remain God and nothing else will happen but his will.
• You can’t save everyone… The fact that someone needs help doesn’t mean you’re their helper.
• YOU KNOW NOTHING AYOBAMI… Always ask God for wisdom.
#4 – I AM GRATEFUL FOR PROVISION
• Trust me I know what it feels like not to have (Long story)… So in these days of little I praise God for taking us from the days of nothing and placing us on the path to plenty.
• Grateful for the way God meets those needs before I need them.
#3 – I AM GRATEFUL FOR REDEMPTION
• God’s forgiveness cannot be taken for granted
#2 – I AM GRATEFUL especially for those innumerable unseen blessings…
#1 – I AM GRATEFUL for THE FUTURE
• Encouraged by the chance to start over
• Particularly excited about God’s promises
Bring on 2015.
#thereisaGodinIsrael
Ayoore 