Wake Up From Your Slumber!!!

About two years ago, I was told a story that leaves me laughing any time I remember. A man had a good job with an organisation that manages those with bipolar disorder. Despite the fact that his job requires alertness and attentiveness, this man could not help but fault this requirements because he suffers from a disorder that makes him sleep incessantly. I was told he sleeps off in the middle of funny and lively discussions, even if he is actively contributing. After sometime, his supervisor noticed his uncontrollable sleeping habit and decided to give him schedules that will keep him standing, but unfortunately, he could not help but sleep even while standing upright. He was further given a schedule that will keep him typing, but he repeatedly kept sleeping while his fingers deceptively kept typing *smiles*. I don't know what will eventually be his fate, but I can predict that when his sleeping habit becomes unbearable for the organisation, he may loose his job. The story may be funny but we sometimes implicitly threat our lives in such manner. We loose the opportunity to achieve significant success in live because we slumber on issues, decisions and actions that would make an everlasting impact on our lives.

The reality is that time keeps ticking, days keep counting and life keep moving. While these changes occur 'we' who have the capacity to make our lives meaningful often do not realise the pace at which these events are unfolding. We vacillate, procrastinate and sometimes treat life issues with levity. When we finally realise, our speeches take such tone as 'and I wanted to'. What is that goal you wanted to achieve? What is that business you wanted to start? What is that course you wanted to enrol for? What is that addiction you wanted to overcome? And what is that change you wanted to see? If you will achieve significant success in life, you have to WAKE UP from your slumber now and LIVE!!!  

Embrace hard-work, consistency, perseverance and determination. If you have ever seen a massive anthill, it is easier to think it was man-made but it is actually the glorious display of hard-work, consistency, perseverance and determination by the Ants. They have no commander, no overseer or ruler yet they store their provision in summer and gather their food at harvest (prob 6:6). How much more we as humans with all the available resources at our disposal. We must refuse to fold our hands instead we must get up from our sleep, put our heart to work and give our work the best of us, then we will do greater exploit.

It really does not matter much where you start from, just take a bold step towards achieving your life goals.  And if you really want to know where you need to start from, then start from where you are, start without hesitation, start with what you have, improve on it constantly, be encouraged by your efforts, be confident in your work, advertise what you have to offer and celebrate your achievements. Stop waiting only for the opportunity, create the opportunity you seek and greater opportunities will locate you. Remember the gift of a man makes way for him and bring him  before great men. Finally, it is more honourable and rewarding to put your hand to work as much as you can, even if  you have a million reasons to justify being idle or ineffective in life. See you at the TOP!

"wake up, O sleeper......be very careful, then how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesian 5:14-16"

Guard your heart!!!

The heart is so fragile, yet strong enough to determine our existence. Just as the heart is biologically essential to life, so also, the state of our hearts largely determine the kind of lives we live. A heart that is inclined to goodness and success will bring forth goodness and success, while a heart that is inclined to evil and failure, will also produce its kind. What is your heart inclined to?

It seems to me that life is a journey and the driver is the heart. The heart determines the direction of each individual's life journey. Unfortunately, the heart does not do this independently. It is largely influenced by external factors, such as what we read, the company we keep, what we see or watch, who and what we listen to, or what we incline our hearts to. 

In a perverse world, with rapid development and technological advancement, we cannot afford to leave our hearts unguarded. Today's world brings us closer to varieties of both good and bad things. We are closer each day to all kinds of news, both depressing and encouraging. We are faced with all forms of technology, both life-saving and destructive, and more than ever before different options that can either make or mar us tend to lurk around. 

While, this development is good in itself, it poses great danger to an unguarded heart. Such heart is open and influenced by all sorts of information, it becomes a target for destructive ideas which eventually destroys such a life here on earth and also in eternity. That is why we are reminded to think on such things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; meaning, who or whatever we become in life is a product of what is instilled in our hearts. Check yourself!!!!!!

Deciding on what to guard our hearts from could be tricky but such things becomes clearer if we  make the Bible our standard. Guarding our hearts requires us to take control by making conscious efforts and decisions to incline our hearts to godly and positive information. Where others are saying there is a casting down, we are able to guide our hearts to the fact that with the Lord on our side, there is a lifting up. Where the Internet gives us options of filthy contents,we are able to guard our hearts towards the edifying contents. When life throws the negatives at us, we are able to keep our hearts fixed on the positives. Finally,  always remember that as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he, thus, 'allow the peace of God, which transcends all understanding to guard your heart and your mind' (Philippians 4:8).

"the mind controlled by sin is death but the life controlled by the spirit is life and peace" Romans 8:6.

OPEN UP

Most of us act like the teenage girl in a fairly popular story, where she and her friends were setting out to travel. The mother said to her 'may the Lord ride with you' but she replied 'only if he will ride in the trunk because the car is full'. Later, the car was involved in a crash and all the teenagers did not survive. While the car was badly damaged, the trunk remained intact. When the cops opened the trunk, they found to their amazement, a crate of eggs and none of the eggs were cracked. This suggest that Jesus was actually there in the trunk, he remained where he was kept and watched over what was within his jurisdiction. If I may ask, how much of your life is opened to Jesus? Where in your life have you kept him? And how much of your life is he permitted to watch over?

Most often, we unconsciously keep the Lord out of those little and tiny details of our lives. We feel we have it all planned out. We feel overly confident in our vast knowledge and growing technology. We erroneously believe He is more interested in the so called 'big issues or decisions' of our lives. We forget He is as much interested in all aspect of our lives. We forget He cares more than anyone on earth would (Isaiah 49:15-16). We forget He loves us and wants to be involved in our lives. Even when we remember He loves and cares, our constrained openness stands as a limitation. Remember, the extent to which his power will be made manifest in us is the extent to which we open our lives to Him. Give God full access to all areas of your life, let him take over your feeding, driving, health, dressing, education, finances, travels, family, interactions and relationships, occupation, decision making and many more. He is standing and knocking at the door of our lives (Rev 3:20), can you please OPEN UP!!! 

Finally, stop and think of those issues in your life that you have been trying to handle all by yourself or with the help of others. Think about that decision you want to make and the things you are desiring, think about areas you are limiting the intervention of the Lord, think about your every day life and then open them up to the Lord! When you do this, you can be sure you are in safe hands. For the Lord is trustworthy and faithful so 'trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path' (Proverb 3:5-6). 

Open up your life to God, let him take over and you will never be disappointed

DON'T stop where you are!

Most of us may be familiar with the story of Thomas Edison, the man who invented a light bulb. Edison understood perfectly that failure is just a step in the ladder to success, rather than the opposite of success. It was said that he failed 9,999 times before he succeeded in inventing the light bulb on his 10,000th attempt. Yet, he never accepted failure, instead he regarded it as failed attempts. This positive mindset of Edison gave human kind the light bulb and changed the course of our destiny forever.

Only if we know that success at times is closer to us than it seems, we would hold on!!! From Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" story of the gold digger who went digging for gold. He dug and dug and finally gave up, saying that there was no more gold to be found. He sold his gold digging equipment and then went home. The person who bought his stuff continued to dig and JUST three feet from where the first gold digger gave up, this guy struck gold. In fact, the gold he struck was one of the richest veins of gold ever found during the gold digging era. What a shame that the first guy who spent more time and energy digging lost out on such success because he gave up. His failure was not in his inability to find gold but in his giving up too soon. Think of it, have you too ever given up too soon, just maybe.......? 

This brings to memory the story of 'Omoye: a child like me' one of the super story series by Wale Adenuga. Omoye, a brilliant child, gave up on the right ways to acquire money to pay for her Senior School Certificate Examination. She eventually made the wrong choice that made her pregnant and subsequently led to the abortion which caused her death. Just after the weekend she passed on, the school (unaware that Omoye was dead) offered a scholarship to pay not just her SSCE fee but also sponsor her undergraduate studies. Unfortunately, Omoye was nowhere, her life came to an end because she gave up on other positive possible ways too soon. Don't ever get crushed under the weight of your defeat, life offers us a hundred new opportunities, keep moving!

Don't ever say, 'you are done' out of frustration. Learn from the failing situation and move on.  Don't give up, always remember 'live moves on and so should we' (Spencer Johnson).  Just as the night is always darkest before dawn and the start of a new day, so also our greatest failures come just before our greatest successes. You may not be where you want to be but if you keep moving, you will be closer than you were yesterday.  Finally, don't stop where you are! When you feel like stopping, choose to say like the song writer; I won't give up, yes I won't give up, I will keep pressing on until my help comes. Though it may tarry I will wait, it lingers I will wait, I won't give up on you Lord.

    
Success is failure turned inside out and you can never know how close you are to it. Success may be close when it seems afar, so stick to the action when you're hardest hit, for it's when things seem tough that you must not quit. (Anonymous)

Are you connected?

Recently, I heard a story of a man who bought a brand new refrigerator. Overly excited about his purchase, he also bought lots of frozen items with the intention to preserve them with his refrigerator. On getting home, he set up the refrigerator and kept all the frozen items in it. By the next day, the items were defrosted and he could not explain why. In annoyance, he called the company with complaints of a bad product, only to discover after a few questions from the company, that he actually did not connect the new refrigerator to the socket. 

Whether the story is fiction or not, the truth is we sometimes live our lives without a firm connection to the source of life. Although, we can be connected and not well connected, as in the case of an unstable Christian life, we can also be within the connectivity zone and not be connected, as in the case of a religious Christian. Until we get truly connected and stay connected we are actually not connected! When we are firmly connected there is a continuous flow of God's power unto us and we are able to fulfill God's purpose for our Lives here on earth and in eternity. 

Just like the refrigerator could not function without being connected to the source of its power, if you are also finding it difficult to live fully, you may want to ask yourself: Am I really connected? If you are perpetually compromising your faith as a Christian, you may want to ask yourself: Am I really connected? Or if  your effort produces little or no results, you may want to ask yourself: Am I really connected? Whatever situation in your life that may seem not to be right, start by asking yourself whether you still have a firm link with your source.

It is said that, "A river that forgets it source will run dry" so also is a Christian who is disconnected from the Lord. Our existence is sustained in Him; for in Him we live, we move and have our being (Act 17:28). Remember you were created by no other but God, He breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being (Gen 2:7). Even when we failed Him, He further restored us to Himself through Jesus Christ who affirmed our existence in God when He said '.....I have come that they may have life and have it in full (John 10:10). Finally, if we will only remain connected to Christ as the vine and we as the branches, we will bear much fruit; for without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5 ). 

"For light I go directly to the source of light, not to any of the reflections"

 peace pilgrim quote

God is the source of life, Get Connected and Stay Connected to Him!!!

THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

The past is what had happened, the present is what is happening and the future is what will happen. Many times we fail to live in the present as we get carried away with thoughts of the past and the future. As important as our past is to our present and our future, we must figure out a way to only learn from the past and let go of its hurt. When we hold onto the regrets of our past, our present becomes another regrettable past. 

Our past is gone, our future we do not have yet, but our present is here. We need to appreciate and make good use of our present, it is very significant and very short. It evolves to become our greatest memories (past), and in it we develop our hopes (future). Don't spend it wailing over an irretrievable past or worrying over an unsure future. Be positive about your life and make sure, in your experiment(present), you are using your experience(past) to achieve your expectation(future). The happiest people are those maximising their present. When we dwell on the Past we remain Depressed, when we dwell on the Future we remain Anxious but when we dwell in the Present, we can have a past that we look back to and Smile and we can have a future full of Hopes, because we have put some effort in the present. 

It is a genuine concern to worry about the future, but spending the present worrying will not make the future any different from the regretted past. We can at best predict the future but the certainty of our prediction remains unknown. However, I have goodnews for us! Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Psalm 139:17 "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" and finally friends, Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God".

Friends what are you doing with your PRESENT? Remember it will soon be gone! Just like the song writer, will you choose to say: "Yesterday is gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine, teach me dear Lord to live each day one step at a time."

"Yesterday is a cancelled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, what we have today is a ready cash-so spend it wisely" (Anonymous) 

Make A Difference

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily difference we can make, which over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot forsee" Marian W. Edelman 

Once upon a time, a small neighborhood called Gracity was very neat and habitable. Infact she prides herself as the most habitable in the town . However, in Gracity there also lived a mad man. Every single day the mad man went around Gracity picking dirt and waste items and he did it so well. Picking up these items became a routine such that the people in Gracity seemed not to notice him and even when they noticed him, they care less about him or his routine. He picked up these items, used some and dumped the rest in a hollow he made by himself. Several years passed and he maintained his routine without notice. On this fateful day, the mad man slept and never woke up again. 

The people of Gracity continued their lives and no one seemed to notice the absence of the mad man. After a few months Gracity, which used to be very neat, was becoming dirty and messy with dirt gradually heaping. Several months passed and things became worse. While the people wondered without any clue, an old man suddenly remembered the mad man. "Yes! THE MAD MAN, he used to clean up the town with his consistent picking up of garbage, where is he". At that point the people felt so sober, they realized they could boast of a clean and habitable Gracity only because someone Made a Difference.   

That was a mad man! Though he made a difference unconsciously, he left a legacy in a neighborhood filled with able bodied and sane beings. Can I ask you some questions? What are you doing irrespective of the size, to make a difference? What will you be remembered for? What will be your legacy?                      CHOOSE TO MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE

Life Is A Push!

On a very cosy night, a young man had an unusual vision: God commanded him to push a mountain each breaking of the day. In obedience he pushed this mountain consistently for a year and nothing changed. The devil in his usual manner visited the man, jesting at him,

 

   "Hey man, you have been fooled! Haven't you pushed this mountain faithfully for a year now and the mountain did not move. Can you see the God you claim to serve"

Just LIKE most of us, the young man gave a thought to what the devil said and felt the devil was right, but UNLIKE most of us, he went back to God in prayers. Praying he said, Lord I have faithfully pushed this mountain for a year now and the mountain did not move.

The Lord in his faithfulness answered, "Yes my son, I asked you to push and not to move the mountain, why do you anticipate a move by yourself'?.  Look at your chest, has it not become broader, look at your feet are they not more firm, look at your fists are they not stronger? YOU ARE NOW BETTER FIT FOR YOUR WORLD!"

Life is a push! All you need is to keep pushing.

Some say p.u.s.h is Pray Until Something Happens. I believe this is true. Something great is definitely happening to us when we live a prayerful life. However, our focus is usually on the mountain and not on the great transformation God is doing in us. Don't allow the devil manipulate you by directing your focus to the unmoved mountains. The mountains may never move, but you are stronger. Have hope today in what God is doing in you, keep pushing as you live each day of your life. 

Don't anticipate to move the mountain, PUSH and anticipate God to move it on your behalf!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where Life Ends!!!

, 

The end of time,
The horror of life
The sting of man
Not often talked about
But a reality that will not become extinct

Death, Death, Oh!!!!!!!!!!!! Death!
How terrible to live, without a sense of you
How bad can you be, without a touch of love
I have felt the pains of your visit
I have heard the cries from your sting

Oh! how I wish life could tell life's end
Or can life tell the hour of its passing by?
MAN! live life as secure,
That death won't be unaware

But how secure can you be;
Without the knowledge of Christ
How secure can you be;
Without Christ's life in you

It's never too late, NOW is the time
Next moment is unsure and death gives no damn
Surely death must come;
But when it does, may we be prepared
That the END of LIFE may be such an EVERLASTING LIFE again!!!

Where do you stand?

This is a dream come true for me!!! I want to share inspirational, spiritual and motivational thoughts as often as possible. I want to inspire many with words. I understand that words are like seeds and when the right words are planted in the right minds they germinate in due course and bear fruits. I am convinced that this blog will develop to be a platform for all to exchange ideas. I am convinced that many will find hope in the thoughts and ideas that will spring forth from this platform. I am convinced that every moment invested into developing and updating this platform will be productive.

In the words of 'Lao-tzu' a journey of a thousand miles begin with one step, the original version says; The journey of a thousand miles begin beneath one's feet. In other words 'Even the longest journey must begin where you stand (Michael Moncur).

This is where I stand and right here is where I will start from. Where do you stand?  Arise and join me to begin a journey that will transform lives. This is the best investment ever, trust me!!!!!!