Thoughts about GOD and My Affair with HIM

You can buy two sparrows for only a copper coin, yet not even one sparrow falls from its nest without the knowledge of your Father. Aren’t you worth much more to God than many sparrows? 30–31 So don’t worry . For your Father cares deeply about even the smallest detail of your life. - Jesus Christ ( Matthew 10:29-31 (TPT) ) The words "Do not fear/worry" is arguable one of the most commonly said words by God that appear throughout Scripture, right from the old testament all through to the new testament.  If God keeps on saying these words repeatedly, it must mean that He is addressing a prominent aspect of our lives that we are bound to face often while on earth ... the fear of lack/uncertainty. This means that we are bound to worry and be afraid ... a lot.! The first half of the year 2020 has been quite a ride, and a number of us are no longer here with us. So many people are grieving with loss in one form or the other.  Some have lost friends, partners, siblings, relat...

Hello! These past two weeks have been a season of 'forced' rest for me😅. As I look to resuming my normal duties, I am reminded yet again of the story shared in the Gospel passage according to Luke. This story is about 2 sisters -  Mary and Martha. The Bible translation of this story that I found quite captivating, is that of  The Passion Translation.  See here  Luke 10:38-42    Martha, her  Truckload of Busyness,  with Mary, Jesus and a Cat stealing fish from the tray ( Picture from  Christianity Today ) Good but Distracting I chose to use the image above as it depicted what our daily lives can be - a seemingly unending list of To-Dos!  I often find myself in such scenarios where I would literally wish that we had more than 24 hours in a day. If you are like me that tends to forget oneself when engaged with work, then you would know what I mean by that wish.  It is good to be busy. After all, there is a s...

(Holy Week/Last Week of Lent) ----------------------------------------------- First Reading:  Isaiah 50: 4-9a Res. Psalm:  Psalm 69: 8-10. 21-22. 31. & 33-34 (R.14c,b) The verse before the Gospel:  Hail our King! You alone have had mercy on our failings! Gospel:  Matthew 26: 14-25 ---------------------------------------------- Hello Readers! As we approach the crux of the Lenten season, the readings just like yesterday are centred on the agony and betrayal of our Lord Jesus Christ. Highlighted by the Holy Spirit in the readings of today was the act of ' Submission '.  Google defines submission as  the action of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person. In line with what was shared in yesterday's reflection, the choices we make, result from who we submit our will to.   In life here on earth, there are two forces at play for our submission - The force of Good and that of...

(Holy Week/Last Week of Lent) ----------------------------------------------- First Reading: Isaiah 42: 1-7 Res. Psalm: Psalm 27: 1. 2. 3. 13-14 (R.1a) The verse before the Gospel: Hail our King! You alone have had mercy on our failings . Gospel: John 12: 1-11 ---------------------------------------------- Hello Readers! Today's reflection is built around the theme as seen in the responsorial psalm: The Lord is my Light & my Salvation, whom shall I fear? One is reminded again, when going through the readings, of the fact that Salvation is gotten, only through Jesus Christ . Isaiah prophesied about the Saviour, whom God uses, to bring Liberation and Freedom to His people. Below are some of the beautiful traits of this Saviour of ours: Bearing wrongs patiently - He did not complain despite being wrongly treated. Perseverance - He did not give up!  Commitment - He finished what He started. These few traits, call to mind the first letter of St. Paul to the...

It hurts when someone you genuinely care about or love acts in a despicable manner. It hurts more when such a person keeps a distance, ignoring your warnings and appeals ... despite the looming doom on the path he or she has chosen. If possible, you would slap the person back to his or her senses, not out of despite but out of the burning desire of not wanting to see the person get destroyed. This is how, I believe, God feels whenever we rebel & go astray. As much as we read how he treats Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, God literally warned pharaoh 10 times (10 plagues) but Pharaoh wouldn't listen. God did not harden pharaoh's heart to show off His powers, He only allowed pharaoh's heart (which was already stubborn) to be hardened, after his refusal to listen. God took no pleasure in the destruction of the Egyptians ... they too were also His creation, He only respected their choice ( to abuse their free will ), thus allowing them to go down the path of destruction....

Faith. Faith in God. Have Faith in God.. Often times we may have been asked by our friends, priests, pastors, family; if we have faith in God. Like me, I'm sure your default answer to that would be "Yes, I do!" or "Sure thing!" or like a typical Nigerian 👀 who would answer a question with another question; 😅 'Before nko?!". It's so so easy to talk..say the right words.. even imagine yourself exhibiting so much faith in God. But, what happens when Life comes at you as though saying, "Prove It!" What does the word 'Faith' mean?  Google's definition of Faith is simply put as - Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. The word that jumps out to me isn't trust or confidence; yes! It's quite possible to trust or have confidence in someone or something..we most likely trust someone who may be a friend, or a partner or a family member. We also may have confidence in a product, or a gadget, brand...

Dearly Beloved in Christ, I know I have written before that the best way to live a life free from the hurdles of temptations is to flee from it . I have come to the realization that there is no such thing as a "temptation free life". What is even more shocking is that "Temptation is actually a good thing"😱. Temptation - Is a good thing? Yes, It is.. As one walks and discover more about God through Christ Jesus by the help of the Holy Spirit, certain truths begin to become clearer and this comes as a result of maturity in the Spirit.  Truths that would have destabilized your walk with Christ at an early stage will be easier to absorb as you mature..Just as an infant needs milk at its stage and over time, grows to accept semi-solids and then graduates to chewing meat/cracking bones, so it is with the things of the Spirit. To accept this truth - temptation is a good thing, I had to ask the Holy Spirit what this meant and by His help (through a min...

The Bible verse addressing the number of times we should forgive our fellow brethren is one that may be very familiar with us - Matthew 18: 22. 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22 King James Version (KJV)  The highlighted words in that verse of the  NIV Bible says ""22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times ." I recall those days when I would literally calculate that figure and say, "well, the Lord wants me to forgive my neighbor 70*7 = 490 times". The next question that followed that was, how am I supposed to keep count of how many times my neighbor offends me?? Do I have to keep a "Black" book for them? Now that I think about it, I am sure the Lord was shaking His Holy Head, laughing and saying "Oh this...

..which you are bound to fail at anyway. Don't Fight It.. FLEE FROM IT! Yes! That's right! Flee from it!  I wish I had known this truth a while ago. I would have definitely avoided some unhealthy bonds/habits I had to deal with over the years. First of all, what is Temptation? According to Google: First definition uses the keywords "Wrong", "Unwise". Second looks at it more as an act of being lured, seduced etc.. Now these were some misconceptions I had earlier about temptations: I thought the Lord was testing my Faith/Loyalty in Him, so I openly welcomed temptations! *sigh* This was a chance to show that I was over this hurdle (object/person). This was an opportunity to prove to myself that I was a strong woman. I have outgrown this habit hence I can't fall for it again. Every time I welcomed a temptation my way, I lost the battle. EVERY TIME. Regardless of whatever state of grace I was in, once I had it in my head ...