What Next?

I have not blogged in a very long while. I have watched months fly past without turning the dream of writing consistently into action. If it were possible for thoughts to transcribe into words without a determined action on my part, I would have automated my writing. But that is not possible, at least not yet.

2017 has been a busy year beyond my imagination. I have juggled many balls in the air. I managed to keep some afloat. I dropped quite a few. Blogging, unfortunately, is one of the balls that I dropped against my best intentions, despite having three platforms that provides me with the opportunities to blog and share to inspire hope and enrich lives.

Having acknowledged my shortcomings and trusting you to forgive me for not connecting with you as promised, let me count my blessings in 2017 and be grateful for the many balls I have been able to keep afloat by the grace of God.

The Book, Grace In The Storms, is going to places beyond my imagination. I know that at least 1000 printed copies are out there. I am super grateful to God for His faithfulness, and for the lives, He is using the Book to touch. The feedback received has truly touched my heart and humbled me.

We held several Grace In The Storms Events and had many opportunities to share the story in Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and Nigeria. These were avenues to share the testimony of God’s sustaining grace and to present the Book to a wider audience. I am simply awed at what God is doing with the story He has scripted of my life and the many doors He is using the story to open to me.

My instruction was to go and share the story at every place He will open the doors to me. He had not ceased to amaze me with the way He is fulfilling His part of the bargain. The Feet of Grace is taking me to places my natural feet could not have taken me.

The Feet of Grace Foundation has almost fully engaged my attention and occupied my time. We set out to make the ONE DREAM of living life without limits come true for TEN AMPUTEES in 2017. It has not been a mean feat. There have been several times that I had to pause, and I wondered how this would come to pass; “how would it be?” The support did not come from the places that I had envisaged and expected. Support and help came through many unexpected channels I could never have dreamt of.

My heart rejoices with praise as I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God. He simply pushed me to keep my focus on Him. He keeps reminding me that when He gives an assignment, He makes provision for it. The Annual Charity Walk took place in more locations in 2017 to include Kenya and Uganda in addition to the earlier locations we had in Nigeria, United Kingdom, United States and Switzerland. So far, support has been provided to procure prosthetic limbs for Seven amputees in 2017. Seven almost done, three to go. Together we can make this one dream come true for all the ten amputees.

In addition to the above, I now have a Live Video session of Inspiring Hope on My Facebook Page every Friday evening. I share messages of Grace and Hope to inspire others in their journeys especially those facing adversities and life-challenges.

The work has been intense. The grace has been generous.

But amid these, one question keeps gnawing my spirit—What Next?

What next as a wife after 25 years of marriage?
My husband and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary last April with praise and thanksgiving to God, and with many testimonies. It can only get better. Where do I need to make improvements? What can I do better to keep my marriage fresh, vibrant and exciting for both my husband and me? How are we doing with pursuing and fulfilling the purpose for which God brought us together as husband and wife? I don’t want my marriage to settle into the rut of routines. I do not want us to settle on the sofa of staleness. I am taking time to reflect our shared interests and common goal and vision for our marriage.

What next as a mother of two adult sons who no longer need me to parent them daily?
My first son is now an Engineering graduate, carving out his life and making life decisions. My second son is a junior in the university. Both are living between 6700km to 9450km from home. Parenting them is redefined. My role is becoming more of a counselor and adviser on a faraway stage, and a prayer warrior behind the scenes. As much as I want to be a part of their daily life, they seem to be getting on just fine without me mothering them.

What next as an entrepreneur?
My desire to be a contributing partner to my family finances has not waned despite the years of inability to earn a regular income on health grounds. The vats of needs are huge. The desire to be an inexhaustible conduit of God’s blessing is compelling. What I see in the pipeline cannot meet the needs. I am again and again learning to trust God for His provision. He brought us this far. He has been our sufficiency. I am asking God and myself, what can I do differently to generate the much-needed income. How can I be a more faithful steward of the resources available to me? How can I best position and manage my business so that it can generate consistent income? How do I carve out the time to production in my already crowded agenda? Which of my skills can I monetize to generate income? The questions seem endless.

What next as a Writer?
The books longing to be written and the manuscripts waiting to be completed have refused to let go of their hold on my heart. I cannot miss the unusual ways God is reminding me that I have several uncompleted writing assignments. Wishing will not write the Books. They will only get written when I make time to sit and write. My starting point is writing this blog with renewed commitment.

What next as an Inspirational Speaker?
Knowing where God wants me to be at each point in time is an imperative. I cannot afford to miss the opportunity that God opens to me neither can I afford to go where He has not sent me.

What next as God’s handmaiden positioned at this place and at this time for an only-me-can-fulfill purpose in God’s Kingdom agenda?

Truly, I am in the “What Next?” phase of life. Knowing and understanding the will of God for my life at this phase is critical. Clarifying my God-given vision and the steps needed to accomplish is an imperative I cannot afford to overlook.

I am taking time to seek God’s face. I am listening for His instructions. I am willing to submit to His leading, to trust Him and to obey Him. At the beginning of 2017, my watchword was “Listen, Trust and Obey.” It is obvious that God is not done with teaching me to listen for His instructions, to trust in His ability to take me to where He wants me to be, and to simply obey Him.

Perhaps, you are also in that phase where you strongly desire to know which direction God wants you to go. Then, you are in the right place to pull the plug on yourself and retreat into God’s presence. Silence the noise of the world around you, tune your ears to listen and hear God’s voice. Wait in His presence for instructions. You are in the waiting room—the place where God is preparing you for your next season.

That is where I am now—clarifying God’s calling on my life and His purpose and directions for my next season. I am confident that there is grace available for this phase—the grace that keeps me through the tests needed to refine and prepare me for the next season. I am tapping into the super-abundant grace. I encourage you to do so. That grace enables you to do what you cannot do in your human capacity. It is grace that will keep you sitting still to listen when your instinct is to engage and get even busier.

Receive today, the grace to retreat to recalibrate, renew, refocus and refresh in preparation for your next season.

The Beginning of a New Thing

In April 2013, I had a life-threatening chest surgery and developed severe complications thereafter. I was in induced coma for the next four weeks. Because of these complications, I suffered insufficient blood flow and oxygen supply to my hands and feet resulting in necrosis of the cells. My husband was told that amputation of both my hands and feet may become necessary but they decided that decisions on this will wait until I came out of coma.

When I came out of coma, I realized that something was very wrong with my hands. They trembled almost nonstop. I could not hold anything without dropping it. My fingers were discoloured with bumps and swellings around them. My nails disfigured with dark bands across them. I wrote about this in the blog post: Blog Post 100: Not Static. Not Stagnant.

It was difficult to feed myself or write. It took almost 30 minutes to type one sentence of text message. It was a frightening and frustrating experience. While all these were going on, my mind was plagued with the thought of not being able to write again. It was simply unimaginable for me not to be able to write. Writing was non-negotiable. I knew I have been called by God to write. He placed the passion to write inside me and for me it is a foregone conclusion that I am God’s warrior of words. At this time, my writing future looked bleak. But I had to hope against hope that God would restore my hands. I refused to accept anything to the contrary.

God gave my husband and I an assurance that He has given me the Feet of Grace and I believed that the grace also extended to my hands and so by extension, I have the Hands of Grace. I realized in 2010 that my hands are a gold mine when God impressed on my heart that I was sitting on a gold mine and led me to start writing actively (see Sitting on a Gold Mine).

Slowly but surely, God restored strength to my hands. Healing and restoration became manifested as I began to hold the cutlery and fed myself. I started writing what looked like chicken scrawl, which became more and more legible as time went on. By July, I was able to type on my laptop and my physiotherapist encouraged me to practice this as often as possible to strengthen the muscles of my fingers. Even though, I had three fingers in bandage at that time, it did not stop me, I started blogging again right there in the hospital.

With the confidence that there will be a complete restoration of the use of my fingers, a desire began to stir up within me to have an income generating activity. I knew it might still be a while for me to go back to my professional career as a Nutrition Specialist and I was not even sure at time if I still wanted to do that fulltime especially within the context of my new definition of normal. I had a strong desire to be able to support my husband with the huge burden my medical expenses had placed on our finances. It was in the process of ruminating on this that the thought of beading and making jewelry with semi-precious gemstones was laid on my heart.

Right there, in the hospital, I started to research the subject. I took online courses and made my first order for the materials and tools required. I drafted my business plan and formulated my vision for my beading business. Within a couple of weeks of returning back home in August, after 4 months hospital stay, my materials, books and tools began to arrive.

I made my first bead necklace set in September and wore it for my thanksgiving on Sunday, September 29^th, 2013. It was in October, that God reminded me of the dream He laid upon my heart in 2009. In the search for an article I wrote years ago, which I wanted to include in my book, I stumbled on another document titled: “My Dreams and Vision,” in which I wrote my desire to have a Youth Center that will provide scripture-inspired apparels for our youth. I could not find such apparels with inspired inscriptions in English readily available in my city and I believed that these could provide great opportunities of youths to share their faith in God. It was a much-needed confirmation that I was in the right direction.

My friend and Sista, during her visit to Geneva in November 2013, encouraged me to make my jewelries with a difference; “Let it tell a story.” I pondered for many months after that: “what story can my jewelry tell to make them unique?” In a flash, it came while I was preparing for the launching of the jewelry. They can certainly tell of the grace of God in restoring my hands and indeed, my health. I knew I could not talk about Hands of Grace Creations without sharing the testimony of God’s amazing grace in restoring me to life and full health.

On Saturday, March 8^th, 2014, Hands of Grace Creations made its debut as we launched the handmade beads jewelries, made by hands that were once considered for amputation because of the season of lifelessness and loss of functionality that visited them. The God Who restored the dead body of Lazarus to life and wholesomeness, the same God Who caused dry bones to live again is the God Who restored life and functionality to my hands. He caused them to do detailed work of beading, creating beautiful and unique pieces, in addition to writing the words God keeps giving me.

Indeed, I have recovered all. Not only did I recover the capacity to write again, I recovered much more. I was compensated with the skills to bead and do detailed beading work with my hands (Gen 14:16, 1Sam 30:18).

 

Each piece of jewelry I make is assigned a name, which describes the attributes of God and denotes a piece of my testimony of Who God has been to me through my seasons of storm, affliction and trials. They speak of the might and faithfulness of God as He intervened in my situation. Hands of Grace Creations will share a part of my story. Such that each person who buys and wears Hands of Grace Creations is not just wearing a piece of jewelry but is wearing a piece of my testimony and story, and by doing so, also join me in 

acknowledging the goodness of God.

Here are some of the names:

• Titilailailopemi: I will give thanks to God forever.
•   Oluwafifehansimi: God puts His love on display in me
•  Oluwadamilare: God justified me
•  Oba Awi ma yeun: The Lord that speaks and does not renege on His Word
•  Oluwasoromidayo: God turned my story into joy
•  Oluwaferanmi: God loves me
•  MotilayoninuJesu: I have joy in Jesus
•  Oluwasegunfunmi: God gave me victory
•  Oluwamayomikun: God made my joy full
•  ModupeoreOluwa: I am grateful for God's goodness 

It will be a memorial to the wearers that the same God Who worked on my behalf is not partial. What He did for me, He is faithful to do in their lives too, and what He promised He will do because of His unfailing love.

The “I am” series will serve to remind the wearer of who God says they are according to His Word. They will be a reminder to the wearer to say “I am who God says I am.” These series will use engraved messages and colours to present the truth of God’s Word and promises to the wearer.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of Hands of Grace Creations will be used to support three charity efforts:

• Feet of Grace Foundation, which is positioning itself to provide opportunity to those who are compelled to sit down in a stand-up world to walk again, through the provision of prosthetic limbs.
• Funmi Adewole Foundation: The Education Trust Fund.
•  Education Fund for a missionary family.

 Behold, the beginning of a new thing, now it springs forth. Join me to give thanks to God.

The Conceit of Idleness

In 2003, I took time off work on health grounds and also to assist my sons adjust to their new environment – we had just relocated to Geneva. Coming away from a full-day loaded agenda to a flexible home management schedule, my friends thought I would not last 3 months. I was too active to be home-bound.  I did survive one year before I got restless. The boys did not need me as much as they used to do. I could not make the house cleaner. The wheels were running smoothly. I was involved in the Parents activities in the school but it was not enough to keep me busy. And I felt a strong urge to be able to contribute to the family income again. There was no where I needed to be or where I would be missed if I did not show up.

I did a stint of marketing food supplements for those watching their weight. I did an even longer stint of marketing beauty and face cleansing products. I even volunteered to work pro bono at the Nutrition Department of an International Organization in my city. While all of these did not generate the kind of income I needed, they kept me gainfully engaged.

Recently, a Sista-friend shared with me her concerns about a mutual friend who has been out of work for a long while, and was unwilling to accept a position offered him. He claimed that the position was beneath him. He had set a standard of the kind of job he was willing to do and it was either that or a “big time” business. He was not willing to settle for anything less. I was aghast, shocked at his adamant position. He has a young family to support, bills to be paid were mounting up plus debt to be settled. The situation was simply beyond my comprehension.

Is this faith, or foolishness or simply being presumptuous?

Or am I the one with the problem here? So I went in search of what the Bible says about being unwilling to work.

The Bible warned us in very strong terms against idleness. “…Work with your hands” (1Thess 4:11).

“…The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2Thess. 3:10).

If anyone is not willing to work then he is not to eat either. Such as could work but would not work should not be maintained in idleness. As children of God we must be creative, productive and action-oriented like our God. The Bible recorded that God worked for 6 days before He rested from His work on the 7^th day.

“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need” (Eph. 4:28).

The point is that there must be a willingness and eagerness to work, and to take action to accomplish something even if it appears for the moment that nothing is happening or there is no dividend.

If there is a willingness to work and there is yet to be an opportunity, the individual will keep seeking, he will get up every morning and go out in search of something to do. He will not sit back at home idle. He will be willing to exert himself and go the extra mile to make a living.

 

www.squidoo.com/churchcartoons

Paul demonstrated that hard work is essential even though he had the right to depend on the people since he was ministering to them. He said “we were not idle when we were with you. On the contrary, we worked day and night, laboring and toiling, so that we are not a burden to you…” (2Thess. 3:7, 8).

Those who are not busy, who live lazy and idle lives, walk irresponsibly and become busy bodies. With much times on their hands, they meddle in other people’s business and interfere in the lives of others. They go about talking nonsense, saying things they ought not to. Devil will find work for idle hands.

Idle people, because of their laziness and slothfulness, reduce themselves to become a great burden on their families, friends and the church, depending on the bounty of others. They also deprive those who are truly in need access to the limited resources available. Those who are diligent in their business and earn a living, have great pleasure in doing it, and they are also able to contribute to helping those in need.

Idleness is productive of misery. “Keep away from everyone who is idle and disruptive” (2Thess. 3:6).

Busybodies denotes being busy with useless, superfluous and unproductive things, that is, to be occupied with trifles. But man was created by God to be an active, productive and creative creature, made for work and business.

Those who believe that some activities, chores or jobs are beneath them remain rooted at the same spot. They want the big-bang, they are waiting for a windfall or the beyond-imagination, which will propel them straight to the top. They don't want to do the hard work of building. So they wait and wait, and while they are waiting, they complain, grumble and blame everyone but themselves for their situation. They refuse to take responsibility for their inaction.

Inevitably, those waiting for a windfall or open heaven will likely miss it because they are not at the right place at the right time to receive the windfall or open heaven when it comes. They are too lazy to move from the spot where they are rooted.

While we are waiting for ours dream to be fulfilled, we need to keep ourselves gainfully preoccupied, building a strong foundation, improving our skills, acquiring new and relevant knowledge, and preparing for our dream to come to pass.

“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). They took action which demonstrated their faith in God. Their works put their faith in God on display. They did not just speak or talk about their faith and trust in God but they took steps/actions which demonstrated that they trusted God to act on their behalf.

I know that God does not despise the days of small beginnings. And I know that he who is faithful in small things, to him more is given. God has promised to enlarge our coast.

As Christians, we should demonstrate a high standard of integrity, excellence and diligence in all we set our hands upon to do. Knowing that we stand as God’s ambassadors in whatever area of influence God has given us. We are the salt of the earth there and the light beacon directing others to Christ. We should be examples of those who demonstrate a high standard of responsible work ethics in our vocation and calling.

If we can work and are unwilling to do so, we miss opportunities to have the glory of God put on display in our lives at the workplace or market place, and we also miss opportunity to attract others to Christ when they see His good works in us.

It is a good thing to leave a godly heritage for our children and not just wealth. The sure way to do so is by teaching them the value of hard work and of working in the consciousness of God.

Gina Rinehart, an Australian mining heiress, will not leave her wealth to her children because she noted that they have not “developed the requisite skills, capacity, experience and responsible work ethics to manage wealth.” Gene Simmons wants his children to “be forced to get out of bed, go out, work and earn a living.” These are two of the wealthiest people in the world who would not leave their fortunes to their children.

Christianity does not take us from the work and duty of our calling or vocation, but it teaches us to be diligent in it. It is a responsible thing to encourage others to work and when positioned to do so, we should create opportunities for others to be gainfully engaged.

There is a difference between those who cannot work and those who would not work. Those who cannot work as a result of weakness, handicap, illness and old age should be provided for by the body of Christ, their families and government.

The Proverbs 31 woman is my standard of a hardworking, industrious, multi-tasking and God-fearing woman. She does not eat the bread of idleness. She taught me that I can be constructively engaged no matter what my circumstances may be. Dreams don’t get fulfilled neither can we walk in the fullness of our calling if we are idle and unwilling to start “small.”

Be encouraged to start something today. Take a step forward, it will take you towards living your dream. 

Blog Post 100: Not Static. Not Stagnant.

This blog post refused to be written in a hurry. Rightly so, it is my hundredth post since I started blogging in November 2011.

I spent five days last week in the hospital undergoing a 6-month post-surgery checkup. Yes, indeed it is six months since I had the life threatening open-chest surgery. My God is truly awesome and worthy of my praise. Tried as hard as I did, I just could not get the post finalized in time for posting on Thursday. Do bear with me.

My second son, DE, was 5 years old and had been ill on and off for a period of time. So I took with me on a trip from Tamale to Accra, where I was scheduled to attend a series of meeting at the Country office, to see a UN staff doctor for a checkup. After the consultation with the doctor, I left him in the care of my colleague while I attended my meetings. My colleague gave DE sheets of paper to draw on and colour to keep him occupied. He sketched a number of what appeared to be long and tapering objects and coloured the tips red. When asked what he had drawn, DE promptly responded, “Mummy’s fingers and long nails.” Well, I took good care of my fingers and kept well-manicured nails. His agro was that I kept my nails long while I insisted on having his nails cut.

Over ten years later, in April/May 2013, I suffered from severe oxygen deprivation at the extremities (my feet and hands) and also had renal failure. A short while after I regained consciousness, I noticed changes on my nails. They were discoloured, some were deformed, a couple had fallen off and some had what looks like blood clot under the nail. There was also a dark band and indentation across the nails.

Deformed

With dark band

As my fingers became re-oxygenated, they recovered and a new season of refreshing came upon the nails. During the last 4 months, I observed that as the nails grew, the dark bands moved up and after sometime, the part of the nail above the dark bands literally separated along the line above the bands and in some cases while the upper part was still attached to the nail bed, causing a lot of discomfort.

Despite the extremely difficult circumstances my nails were subjected, they struggled to grow again because the living part of the nail was active. The dark bands have almost reached the tip of my fingers. Soon it will be a figment of my memory that they have once experienced a season of darkness.

In Biology, we were taught that all living beings exhibit seven characteristics. Among these are movement, growth and reproduction. Everything that has life must grow, move and reproduce. Nothing that God created with life is expected to be static or stagnant. Man was created to be an active creature.

There was a time that the earth was without form and void, and darkness covered the deep. It laid in waste, empty and chaotic, and was shrouded in thick darkness. Then came a spark of hope. God did something about it (Gen. 1:2).

Why?

Because emptiness and chaos is not of God, He is not an Author of confusion. The Bible recorded that the Spirit of God moved upon the waters. And God began to speak things into existence—“Let there be…” He made some things— the sun, moon and the stars. He created some things—great creatures of the sea, every living and moving things and He created man (Gen1:2-28).

He blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply/increase in number.”

At one time or the other, we will experience seasons of darkness in our lives -  periods when things go wrong in different spheres of our lives, when we are treated unfairly or unjustly,  and periods of trials and tests, of insufficiency and lack, and of troubles – spiritual, physical and emotional. These leave dark bands across the landscape of our lives.

Perhaps, you have dreamt dreams and nurtured great desires in your heart, and the fulfilment looks bleak

.

Or you have been sitting on the same spot for years waiting for a breakthrough in a particular area of your life and it is not forthcoming.

Or you have been going around the same mountain for so long.

What do we do at such times?

Put our hands over our heads, and our heads upon our knees, moaning and wailing?

Make a move - Let it be God-directed:

David was a man who had many seasons of darkness in his life. Let’s take a look at one of them described in 1 Sam. 30. He and his men returned from following Achish to fight against Israel. He was rejected by Achish. When they got back to Ziklag, they found that their wives, sons and daughters were carried away by the Amalekites and their homes burnt down. They had lost everything.

What was their reaction?

They lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength to weep anymore (vs. 4). Whilst his men remained bitter, angry and full of grief, David took an action to address his situation.

First, he encouraged himself in the Lord his God – he found strength in God (vs. 6b).

Second, he enquired from the Lord what steps he should take to deal with the situation – he sought God’s direction and leading.

God gave him clear instructions and in addition, He gave him an assurance of victory — “Pursue: for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

There will be times we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, times we will pass through deep waters, and times we will walk through fire (Ps. 23:4, Is. 43:2). The key word is THROUGH. We walk and pass through difficult and dark seasons. We are not expected to stay static and rooted there. We must at such times turn towards God, be encouraged and find strength in Him, and seek His face for instructions – What shall I do in this situation?

Time to be Active and Creative:

Wait in His presence until you get clear instruction AND take the necessary steps to move forward! Growth and movement requires effort, time and other resources but above all, it takes willingness and determination to move and not remain static or stagnant.

What is holding you rooted to the same spot?

Usually, it is fear. The enemy uses fear like a shackle to pin us down, to hold us back and to limit our movement. Fear paralyses and keeps us static and stagnant.

Sometimes it is fear of failure. It could be fear of rejection, of being refused or even fear of death. Fears whispers doubt and disbelief into our hearts – maybe God’s word will not be fulfilled in this case. But let me give you this assurance: God’s words are effective. His words are not idle. They always accomplish the purpose for which they have been sent forth and will never return to Him void. God will do what He says He will do. He will never go back on His word or renege on His promises.

God’s grace is also abundantly available and sufficient to move us away from the spot to which we have been rooted.

When God, the Trinity, created mankind in their image, He put in us the ability to relate with the Holy Spirit. He, as our teacher and counsellor, broods over us and brings creative and purposive life out of our chaos and makes a ministry out of our mess. Also, because we are created in God’s image, God’s creative ability is at work in us to make us creative like our Creator.

God has created us to be active. He created us to be productive, to increase and to grow.  He created us to be creative. Sometimes growth may mean for us a deeper spiritual maturity, which we are all called to attain in Christ.

He did not create us to be static or stagnant or idle or to live in fear.

Dear Friends, it is time to move from this spot where you have remained static and stagnant, and from the spot you've been held down in fear. You have encompassed this mountain long enough. It is time to follow God’s leading and instructions if you want to fulfill your destiny and possess what God has ordained for you for a possession (Deut. 1: 35 – 2:9).

Today, is the day to take action. Let it be God oriented, directed and guided.

Make The Next Move Forward

My son recently introduced me to a game, in the bid of having something fun to do while I pass the time in the hospital. It is about moving coloured bubbles and aligning them according to their colours to get a score. There is a goal set for you at the beginning— to clear specified type of bubbles within a given number of moves or set time, and/or to achieve  a specified score.

At first, I just played without a clear understanding of the importance of each move. I soon learnt that if I want to achieve the set goal, each move counts. I learnt that I have to prepare the ground for an important move, I have to be strategic with the moves so I can clear the obstacles, and since I don't know what is coming next, I have to be cautious how I make a move.

Stepping Forward:

On June 20, 2013, I stood up straight and erect between parallel bars, with mixed feeling. Happy that after a long period of  lying flat on my back, then oscillating between the bed and the wheel chair, I was finally able to get off my rear, which by this time was hurting, and stand up even though it was for a few minutes.

At the same moment, I was upset as I looked at the provisional feet of grace and thought that was what I will have to move around with. The reality of what had happened suddenly dawned on me. I revolted against it. Focusing on the limitation it posed, the pain and the difficulty almost overshadow the joy of standing again. In the blog post last week, I shared how God ministered His peace into my heart and brought me through that valley.

Being able to stand up was such an achievement. At first, I was wobbly and unstable, and needed to be supported. The following day, I took my first step forward. It was with great difficulty and pain but I was walking, I moved forward as I took a few steps more. I never thought that putting one step forward after the other could be such a challenging task!

By the end of that week, I was able to walk the length of the parallel bars, a distance of about 3 meters. Since then and within the past month, I have moved from walking 20 meters to 200 meters with the support of a wheeler.  This week, I started walking with  the crutches, and as at the time of writing this blog spot, I have been able to walk a distance of 100 meters with crutches supported by the Physiotherapist. Praise be to God, I am moving forward.

Each step is taking me closer to my goal, and that is, to be fit and ready to go back home early in August. I am regaining my autonomy each day. I was able to go to the toilet unaccompanied and without assistance. The nurses, caregivers, therapists and doctors are amazed at the mileage I am making and the speed at which I am making it. They always express surprise at how much things I can do by myself now. One commented in French, that I am rendering her jobless!

My husband said that many will see me walking and will declare — "that is grace on the move."

Next Steps:

During my hospital stay, I have had time to ponder on my dreams, heart desires and fulfilling my destiny according to the will of God. I want to fulfil my God-given purpose. In line with the above, the following goals stood out in my heart, for which I am trusting God for grace, strength, guidance and direction to pursue.

• To be a motivational / Inspirational speaker:
•  My prayer is that God will qualify me as a vessel filled up by Him and poured out into the lives of the people He will bring my way across many nations, to inspire hope in them.
• Become an accomplished and published writer:
• The book I have been writing for years - "Empowered For Victory" now has a beautiful  conclusion to the glory of God. It is time to complete and release it, so that lives it is meant to touch for good will hold the book in their hands. There are a few more writing projects God has laid on my heart which I must now give attention to as well.
• I desire to have an income generating venture which will outlive me and be passed on to the next generation:
• I asked God for an innovative idea that will make a difference. I pray for wisdom and leading by the Holy Spirit to find and recognize this venture and to forge the right partnerships to move it forward

The only way to accomplish these dreams and goals is to conscientiously identify what needs to done and take the necessary steps towards achieving them. I am also conscious that many are the plans in person's heart but it is the Lord's purpose that will prevail (Proverbs 19:21). Ultimately, it is God's purpose for my life that I want accomplished. And that is why we must commit our thoughts and desires to God in prayer and wait in His presence for clarity and guidance.

Your Move:

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo wrote on her blog - "Uniquely Woman" - "Whatever the Lord lays in your heart to do… even if you are afraid, even if you are uncertain of the outcome… Just do it! Regardless of how daunting it might seem, make that first move and then leave the rest to Him."

You may find it challenging and daunting to take the first step but if you want to accomplish a goal or live a dream or walk in your destiny and the purpose God  has for you, that one step forward you must of necessity take. As you take each baby step soon your gait becomes steady and smooth, and you find yourself in a well synchronized rhythm, which takes you forward each step you take. Soon you are on your way and nothing can stop you.

However, if you do not pay attention to God's leading and direction, you will get distracted and begin to vacillate and dissipate energy. You are also likely to miss opportunities to make good moves. God has a limitless ability to help us and move us in the right direction when we yield and submit to His will. There is a difference between getting results and your desired outcome, and just getting busy.

Now is the time to begin to prepare what you need to accomplish your God-given goal, do not procrastinate a day longer, make that move forward today.

Today, I have the definitive feet of grace to take each step forward. It is a lot better than the provisional one. As God ministered to me, the feet of grace will help me to get my assignment done, so I am adapting to it everyday. I am enjoying moving around. It gives such joy, sense of accomplishment and liberty. I give praise to God.

Dear Friends, what dreams and desires has God placed on your heart? What are you doing about them? What is holding you back? It is my joy to encourage you to take the next step forward today.

Right Where You Are

I have always loved to write.

I scribbled stuff here and there when I was a teenager. I wrote scientific reports, speeches and presentations as a professional. I wrote notes of events happening in my life. I kept a journal. My friends encouraged me to write my story into a book. I started without a clear direction of how to present it.

Turning Point

In all of these, I did not see writing as a gift.  Until two years ago, in response to my desperate cry, God opened my eyes to see the gift He blessed me with and revealed to me how to use it creatively for His glory. I wrote about this in Sitting On a Gold Mine. Click to read.

That was when I became a full-time writer and I took definite steps to hone my craft. I started to write articles, essays, short stories and fiction novels to convey the truth of God's word—to enrich lives and inspire hope.

After three months of writing, in June 2011, I began to share a weekly Enriching Lives. Inspiring Hope. Newsletter by email with friends and family members. And in November of the same year, it evolved into this blog.

That mailing list has grown incredibly. The page views on the blog grew exponentially especially in the last three months. I could never travel to the 80+ countries from where visitors come to the blog. The reach of the message is gone beyond my wildest imagination like the silver branching of a lightning bolt flashing in the sky.

A couple of friends drew my attention to the chain of reaction which is taking the message to the uttermost parts of the world. Another writer led an appreciation of creative writing as a gift from God. I sat back and reflected on my small beginning. I marveled at God's faithfulness to do exceedingly more abundantly that I could ever ask, think or imagine.

My wildest imagination paled at God's ability to do limitless possibilities.

Home-bound, I write from the corner of my broken glass-styled dining table top, and right where I am, from my little corner, God is doing amazing things with the gift He blessed me with, in such a way that not even I could share in His glory

In that corner, I spent many hours writing, researching and studying. In between, I glance out through the window into the sky with a twiggy dry tree standing in my line of vision. I watched this tree changed with the  changing seasons, yet reflecting God's unchanging faithfulness in keeping me through my seasons.

It can be lonely alone at this little corner but it gives me utmost joy to know what God is doing with message He gives me the grace to write from here.

In your little way, in the little corner where you are, God can boast about you when you give back to Him to use for His own glory and honor what He has given to you. You can make a difference of eternal value right where you are.

Something in Your Hands

There is something in your hands that you can give to the world around you which will make the message of the cross come alive in their lives. You always have something to give. God has not left you empty handed.

I once read the story of a woman in a Chicken Soup Stories for the Soul^©. Unemployed, she was filled with self-pity, despite being jobless she searched for ways to give. Feeling worthless because she thought she had nothing to give, she glanced out of her window at her garden and found flowers blooming. She ran into the garden, picked, arranged and shared them with her neighbors  One of them turned out to be a desperate woman, with an alcoholic husband, a diabetic mother and two children she could hardly support. The flower delivery evolved into praying together for each other, until despair gave way to hope, until she found a job and the alcoholic husband quit drinking.

The boy with the five loads of bread and 2 pieces of fish was willing to share what he had. God multiplied it exponentially, it fed 5000 men, women and children not counted and there were leftovers (Luke 9:13-17). Talk about superabundant multiplication.

The widow at Zarephath gave all she had left - a handful of flour and a little oil to make bread for Elijah, and her jug of oil never failed until God gave rains back to the land (1Kings 17: 11-16).

What these witnesses and many others like them did, still stand as a memorial and a testimony today, encouraging us that we always have something in our hands to give, which God can multiply beyond our wildest imagination, and with rippling effect.

Who would have thought the gift of a bunch of flowers would have such a rippling effect? There is always something in your hands to give - your skills, talents, gifts, time, money, to name a few, and you can be creative with it.

Something You Can Do

There is something you can do right now, right where you are, which can impact lives for eternal significance, not by the magnitude of what you are doing but by the intensity of love, commitment and passion underlying it. There is something you can contribute that will advance the gospel of salvation.

Do the good you know to do. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. Whoever knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin (James 4:17). Cotton Mather noted "that the ability to do good in any case imposes an obligation to do it."

You can deliberately seek opportunities to do good to people around you if you pay attention to them and to their needs.

It may be the way you respond in time of great adversity and affliction that will speak volumes about your relationship with God, and show Him as the source of your hope and confidence. When you patiently endure persecution, you show forth a God-given inner strength and peace that many will long and ask for.

Be Persistent, Consistent and Diligent

We must be faithful and diligent to identify and passionately pursue the assignment God has for us. For most of us, the impact of our assignment may not be visible or quantifiable now, and it need not be.

My husband shared the story of someone who sowed some seeds in her garden, nurtured, watered and tended the plant. It grew over her fence but appeared not to be blossoming. All she seem to see was the green plant but she kept at it until her neighbor exclaimed at the beauty of the plant—it was blooming on the other side of the fence.

God is able to make the seed you sow into people's lives to blossom in a way you could never have imagine. Don’t give up even when you don’t see results.

A Gift And A Blessing

Creative writing is both a gift and a blessing to me. I am amazed at the way God is using this gift to open doors to me and to bless me. It does even much more:

• It holds me accountable —I am compelled to practice what I preach.
• I am motivated to stay connected to the source of power and inspiration. I frequently have to ask the Holy Spirit for inspiration when I share a message.
• Often, I go back to read again previous posts and I receive encouragement when most needed. I get a fresh revelation and insight at that moment that it is sometimes difficult to believe that I wrote the piece.

Everyone has a calling and a God-given assignment. It may be to your family, community or to the nations. Whatever your assignment may be—right where you are, in the workplace, marketplace, school, via internet or social media—you can impact the world.

What perfect example we have in Jesus. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend. But while we were yet sinners, Jesus came and died for us. In the short time Jesus spent walking here on earth, He left an indelible mark on the lives of everyone who came in contact with Him!

Let this Easter be reminder of the precious gift of life Jesus died to purchase for us, let us be encouraged to reach out with this message of love from where we are. I pray that this will be a special time of celebrating God's miracle of life and amazing love for you and your loved ones. Happy Easter.

Why I Am Here

During the past few weeks I had the opportunity to listen to messages and watch events, which compelled me to ponder on why I am doing the things that I do.

It was timely. I stepped into blogosphere a year ago today.

Why did I start out on this journey?

Why do I write?

I checked my heart and my motives, reviewed my personal statement and read again my first blog post.

Listening to the messages I mentioned earlier, I realized that if I am not doing this for the right reasons, it would be a waste of energy and effort - an exercise at futility.

I love to use words. I love to craft words skilfully  to deliver a message and touch lives for good—encouraging and inspiring hope. The ability to skilfully craft words is a gift bestowed by God. And when God gives a skill, it is because He wants it to be used to accomplish His purpose.

Sometimes, the trials and difficult situations we go through provides opportunity for a skill to be developed in us—squeezed out under pressure. All the women, who skilfully spun with their hands in blue, purple and scarlet materials and in fine linen, and brought these for the building of the tabernacle, learnt the art of tapestry while they were in bondage in the courts of the Egyptian princes.

They acquired the skills they used for God's purpose while they were in bondage—something beautiful and good came out of their difficult experience.

That is why I am here. I have learnt and grown through the fiery path I have sometimes  walked. I have experienced God's awesome love in such an uplifting way that I can not but write and share about them.

I can not NOT write. Writing connects me to the world out there. Writing is the opportunity God has given me through my trials and afflictions to touch lives for good. Ultimately, it is for God's purpose to be fulfilled in my life and in lives of those He brings my way that I am here. And it is He only Who must get the glory in all I do.

"Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people, citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another."

- Carl Sagan

In the past one year, I have cultivated new relationships and connected with so many people who I never knew. The blog has been visited from at least 40 countries. I could never have imagined such a reach when I started out last November.  I am so grateful to God for blessing me with each of you who have visited, commented and subscribed. You  are an encouragement to me.

How am I doing with my writing?

A leap of faith:

For many years, I dreamt about writing and did some writing without due diligence of learning. In February 2011, I laid down my excuses and started learning about the craft while writing.

I was inspired by DiAnn Mills' words - "How sad to hold onto a dream, know it is from God, and yet have too many fears and doubts to take a leap of faith" and was encouraged by her prayer to let my enthusiasm and inspiration for the craft of writing grip my heart and keep me creating and learning!

I have learnt more about the art and craft of writing since I started blogging on November 1, 2011. I am still learning as I strive to give my best. I am also wading in the waters of poetry which will enhance my writing skills. But the journey has not been without challenges.

Empowered For Victory:

A compilation of inspirational stories to encourage those facing difficult situations. It shares the stories of the victories God has given me and  the testimonies of how He is keeping me, day by day, come what may, living with a chronic respiratory disease. The book has been in the cooler for a few months now.

I am compelled to finish this book, there are those who God wants to use this book to touch. As long as it is unfinished, it can not be a tool for God's service. I ask God for the grace to overcome every resistance to the completion of the book.

Writing for Magazines:

God gave me a unique opportunity this year to write for Effectual, a magazine published six times a year which is impacting the lives of many women across many countries.

Novels - Inspirational Fiction:

I initiated a number of novels in the last two years. Fired by a strong desire to address all my unfinished work, I have gone back to the drawing board on one of them which I plan to give more attention as soon as I finish with the non-fiction book.

Watch out for updates on these projects on the blog in the coming months.

Next Steps:

I ask you, my friends, to help me take the blog to the next level by doing the following:

• Let me know in the comment box below which blog post ministered to you the most?
• What kind of improvements would you like to see in the blog to make your visit more enriching?
• Please share the blog post you identified above with two of your friends and invite them to visit.

I am willing to do the work—writing, leaning on God who has equipped and skilled me for His purpose. I am determined by His grace to keep at it and to be available for His service through writing.

What about you? How are you doing with the skills God bestowed on you?

I encourage you to strive to be the best in the use of these skills for God's glory and service.

Thank you for letting me a part of your life through this space. It will be lonely here  without you. I pray that your experience here will continue to enrich your life and inspire hope in you.  God bless you richly.

1. DiAnn Mills is the Craftman Mentor for the Jerry Jenkin's Christian Writers Guild. http://www.christianwritersguild.com/blog/the-climb/

Matchless In Details

"He made two cherubim of wild olive wood, each 15 feet tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary. The wingspan of each of the cherubim was 15 feet, each wing being 71/2 feet long.

The two cherubim were identical in shape and size; each was 15 feet tall.

He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple.

Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room.

 He overlaid the two cherubim with gold" - 1Kings 6: 23-28.

This was a part of the description of the Temple built by Solomon. Several elements in the description caught and hooked my attention—my imagination was fired up as I created a vivid mental picture of the two golden cherubim standing in the sanctuary.

More on the detailed description:

·        It showed the Temple to be made from limestone and cedar.

·        The lavish use of gold overlay.

·        The motif used for decoration - gourds, open flowers, palm trees and cherubim.

·        The building parts were assembled quietly on site. No noise or sound of metal tools was heard.

Attention was given to describing the details of the work done in the temple which enhanced the imagery of the beauty and intricacy of the project. Recording the crafting of the furnishing in such minute detail emphasized the magnificent beauty, symmetry, and the glory of the temple.

Jump back to the Book of Exodus Chapters 25 to 30 and see how God provided detailed instructions for the building of the Tabernacle and its furnishing. The specifications included:

• Types of wood and metals to be used.
• Dimensions and placing of all the items for use in the Tabernacle.
• The fabric for colourful curtains, exquisite tapestry, intricate motifs and embroidery.
• The skilled craftsmen to do the work.

Moses was warned when he was about to start building the Tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain" (Ex. 25:40). And Moses built the tabernacle to specification. He followed the detailed instructions he was given.

The account of both the building of the Tabernacle by Moses and the Temple by Solomon were described in the Bible in details.

From creation to date, there is no haphazardness or tardiness in the dealings of God. He is interested in the details. His doings are well defined and purposeful. God gave detailed instructions and the understanding of the details.

Creativity and Details

God, the Father Almighty, is the Creator of the heavens and earth. He created order out of chaos. He is the God of details. He paid attention to the details when He created exquisitely beautiful things out of nothing.

Observe the wonders of nature—majestic mountains, scenic lakes, vast oceans— and you will marvel at the multiple colours, amazing patterns and unusual animals and plants, which God incorporated.

We are created in His image and in the process, God deposited in us the ability to be creative.

Creativity requires paying attention to details—taking note of intricate, fine and elaborate particulars.

"Opportunity for discovery and creativity comes from digging into details"

- John D. Cook.

As a writer, I learnt that a writing life springs from a creative source. The more I tap into God, the more creative I am. The details I see in the Word of God inspires me to be attentive to give descriptive details in my writing and invoke vivid imagery which will hold the attention of my readers.

Every detail must be addressed with care if you want to create something beautiful and elegant. This has application in every vocation or calling.

Productivity and Details

In this context, it relates to important and significant particulars which ensures that a job or task is performed thoroughly and meticulously to produce an excellent work. It also ensures that the standards specified are followed or achieved. It excludes the trivial elements.

"God is in the details"

- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886 - 1869)

When God is in the details nothing is overlooked. A mediocre does a shoddy job because he does not give attention to the fine details.

In the building of the Tabernacle, Bezalel and Oholiab were chosen for their skills and artistic craftsmanship. Solomon sent for Huram from Tyre to work on the building of the Temple.

The report given of the work of these men showed that they were excellent skilled workers, they were thorough, and they gave attention to the details.

Whatever our vocation may be, there is an opportunity to produce an excellent work when we use our talents, skills and gifts as unto God.

The goodness of the final product is established by its details.

God and You, and the Details

God, Who did not spare any details in the creation of the universe or the building of the Tabernacle, is interested and concerned about the minute details of our lives. He does not want to be involved in the big issues only but also in the day-to-day small details of our lives.

He wants to be a part of every decision we make. He wants us to check with Him about those small details of everyday life we think we can handle.

I read in my Bedtime Bible Storybook as a child, the story of a young girl who lost her coin. She searched fervently but could not find it. Distressed, she cried to her mother for help, who asked her to pray about it. She did. A short while later, she found the coin, in an unusual place.

The story stayed with me. When I put it to practice, I am amazed how God leads me to find something I lost or to something I needed. This happened many times and in mysterious ways too. There's nothing we can't share with God, nothing too trivial to commit into His hands. If it concerns us, it concerns Him too.

We can rely on God to take care of all the particulars of our lives when we keep Him in the details. And this comes with practice.

How much details of your life do you share with God? He is waiting for you today to make Him a part of all the details of your life. And your life will be enriched as you do so.

P.S.: I apologise for coming late with the blogpost in the last 2 weeks. I am writing under difficult circumstances. More on that soon. God bless you.