My Walk Down The Aisle

It's Easter and i was pondering on Jesus's days before crucifixion and after resurrection, the journey from his time in Gethsemane to Galilee was something, a lot happened in those few days before his death to days after resurrection. What is our response in times of difficulty, grief, pain and suffering?  One important lesson from this study is that God meets us in our difficult seasons.  Let's start with Jesus' experience, Jesus in a state of grief before his death, he knew what was to come and he was overwhelmed with so much sorrow. Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭37‬-‭38 ‬ ‭ “And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “ My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me. ” Imagine the soul being sorrowful even unto death, imagine the state of mind he was in? What was his response? He prayed! Not once, not twice but he went back 3 times praying until he returned fully surr...

 Have you ever wondered how you communicate with someone for a period of time and it seems like you know them already or like you've always known them? Life they say is deeply spiritual, i recently met up with a longtime friend who i had never met in person before. I could call her friend because we are in the same community groups, we had a few mutual friends and colleagues and we sometimes prayed together and we were aware of each other's life defining moments like having children, moving to another country and so on...   A few days before our meetup, i had messaged her that i looked forward to meeting her for the first time and she was surprised we had not met in person. Meeting her in person was even better, it didn't feel like i was meeting her for the first time, we talked like it was what we did normally everyday and that was when it struck me even more that though i had not met her physically, there was a deeper connection beyond just meeting physically.  Tha...

I’m sure we’ve heard about one of the popular stories of the Bible- The Prodigal Son. When that story is read or told, there is the tendency to see just the prodigal son; The one who demanded his inheritance prematurely, squandered it all in wild living, and came crawling back in shame. And the part that moves us most is his gracious welcome : a father running toward him, arms wide open, heart already forgiven.. Luke 15:11-32 A few years ago, I heard a new perspective—one that reframed the parable in a powerful way. It was about the Prodigal Father . Inspired by Timothy Keller’s book The Prodigal God , this view suggests another “reckless” person in the story— the father shedding light  on God's reckless Love for us.  . You see, the word prodigal doesn’t mean “rebellious” or “wayward.” It means recklessly extravagant, wastefully lavish. The younger son was prodigal in how he handled his wealth. But the father? He was prodigal in how he gave his love. Lavish. Undeserved. Unc...

It was a bumpy ride in the jungle as we drove through untarred roads in the van. I and a couple of my closest friends had taken time out to reflect, rejuvenate, explore and connect and part of the experience was a nature ride in the Safari. Nothing prepared us for the ride, though fun with lots of beautiful views, we experienced lots of bumps and turns along the way. Isn't that how life plays out itself for us most times? You plan for a fun ride and lo and behold, you encounter lots of hiccups and bumps on the way... Life...  The area had a couple of rain storms earlier in the week, this added in a lot of muddy slippery slopes on our nature ride. As our driver expertly navigated the bumps and muddy puddles but we were unexpected navigated into a muddy pit and got stuck in the mud.  Attempts to get out proved futile, as the driver exerted more gas on the engine, the van gave a loud roar with tires just rolling and van absolutely stuck, kicking muddy pebbles up in the air. Isn't...

I am always amazed and intrigued by the newness that comes with spring. the budding of life from something that seemed dead, the sounds of the birds singing, the budding and blooming of flowers and oh the burst of beautiful colors!  Reminds me a lot of the life giving power of the resurrection. When something so dead and with no hope, receives life eternal and hope. When Christ's death and resurrection gives abundant life here on earth and eternal life in heaven! No wonder Easter aligns with Springtime right?! A reminder that after a brutal winter comes spring, a reminder that after Good Friday comes Easter Sunday, a reminder that joy comes in morning, a reminder of God's eternal and abundant life! Will you embrace God's lifegiving newness today? John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Say a prayer with me: " Dear God, thank you for loving me so much and ...

Oh Wounded soldier, Rise! From the ashes and the pain,. Rise, from the punches and the hurt. Though struck down, but not destroyed, never give up the fight. Oh Wounded soldier, Rise! From the hurt that pierces through the soul. Rise, from the tides and the billows. Though wounded, the lover of your soul still heals.  Oh Wounded soldier, Rise! From the burns and scars that peals the flesh. Rise, and see that you are not alone in the fire. Though in the fire, your robes will not be scorched and you remain unscathed in the hands of Abba. Oh Wounded soldier, Rise! Can you see the host of angels surrounding you? Can you smell the air of a new day dawning? Can you hear the sound of victory? Rise, for the battle is won! Oh Wounded soldier, Rise! Those Scars have made you a warrior. Pick up your shield and defend others in the fight.  Though healed, you still remain a warrior in battle. Yours in the walk. 

 As 2023 wraps up, I am reminded of when I was on cheerleading duty as my husband ran his first marathon. To get situated I got a good spot close to the finish line as I waited to watch him finish his race. He had called shortly before he started his race to say “see you at the finish line”, words I remembered as I struggled to find my way there because I didn’t want him to get to the finish line and not find me there cheering him on.  As I waited at the finish line, there was a crowd of witness cheering the racers on and you just have to naturally cheer others on too as so many other families and friends cheered others on and their voices got louder when they see their runner. This scene reminds me of the scripture  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1 ‬ ‭ The awareness of the cl...

 

 I love Christmas, but I love Easter much more! 😊  I mean, how could the death of one man bring so much Life and Life in abundance!? The more I grow in my spiritual walk, I have come to appreciate the essence and the importance of what Christ did on the cross of Calvary. Therefore I celebrate his birth and celebrate His death even much more because it signifies the core and essence of my faith. And this season again, I choose to remember all that God did and I am reminded that, all that I need to live victoriously has been provided for and just like Paul, "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" ( Philippians 3: 12b). Two stories emphasizes this for me, two very significant events that laced history and is forever celebrated; the triumphant entry to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) and the Last Supper (Communion). These two events were days leading up to his death and it was so evident that Jesus had things planned and provided for.  In Luke 19:28-...

There is something particularly special about season change. When winter gradually rolls into spring, when the cold chills ease into spring warmth, when the ice and pilled up snow melts to the sight of green fields, to watch the trees begin to bud for new life, to hear the birds chirping away, to feel the wet wind blow against your face and the smell of rain that brings up new life...  I have found it not a coincidence that with spring comes Easter, a celebration of the life that God so generously gave to us on the cross. A season that reminds us of abundant life and a hope that anchors so strongly. Every year is always a reminder of this life, love and hope so strong, the anchor of my faith that Christ died and rose again.  Maybe... just maybe that's why I  get so excited when I feel the shift in the weather! J ust the assurance that no matter how brutal the winter is, spring will surely come around. Hallelujah! The reality of this truth strikes me every year when the s...

 Have you ever been faced with insecurities that comes from the fact that we are all flawed?  Moses had said "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?" Gideon had said "But how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family".  As I read through Genesis 3, this question God asked Adam struck me differently. Quick summary is that God had made Adam and blessed him with everything in the Garden of Eden, including a wife called Eve. God gave Adam and Eve access to everything except for the tree of good and evil- they not supposed to touch and eat from that tree. Everything went well until the devil came and tempted Adam and Eve to eat from the tree. They did and realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together for coverings, then they tried hiding from God... When Adam and Eve heard the sound of The Lord God walking in the Garden, they hid and The Lord called out to them, here is the communicatio...

  Ephesians 6:11-18   "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;   And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.   Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" Take a minute to imagine a warrior going to war without his sword, weird right? or going to war without a shield? how would that warrior protect him or herself? or a warrior going to battle with just the helmet of salvation and saying "but I'm  saved" What?!  I have read this passage over and over again, but recently I  was enlightened to the understanding that it is not enough to know the whole armor scriptu...

I remember when my marriage was 7 years, i did document  some lessons (please do search for it on the blog, its titled 7 years, 7 lessons). Of course, as the years went by we continue to grow and learn a lot. This time, i wanted my husband to also share some of the lessons learned over the years. We were able to summarize to 10 short lessons shared below:  Fun and true fact- Marriage is the first system God put in place to refine us. Long before salvation came to play. Embrace the process of refinement. It’s a lie from hell, that you are supposed to continue to be who you were before marriage. Never! You are supposed to be better and do better. See that popular triangle description? The one that has God at the top point and both of you at the edges, it works magic. The closer you both draw closer to God, you automatically draw closer to each other. Forgiving each other is very important, it’s true! What is less talked about is forgiving yourself. Learn to forgive each other an...

Scriptures: Psalm 32 vs 8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you”. Psalm 119 vs 105: "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". As a parent, there have been times i have had to give my children immediate instructions, and most times they ask me "But why mummy?" and my response, "Because mummy said so!" :) And there have been times I have had to stop everything I’m doing and seize that opportunity to teach them an important life lesson. Psalm 32:8 lays out three important ways The Lord guides: Instructs- To direct or command someone to do something Teach- To show or explain to someone how to do something Counsel- To give advice to someone I have found moments of His instructions sometimes uncomfortable, not exactly the way I would want to do my things and I find myself struggle just like my children when thy ask me “but why?”. No wonder Psalm 119:105 says your word ...

Psalm 1:3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. As i take a deep look into Psalm 1 vs 3, i can't help but notice that the tree here is planted by the streams of water. Not just any water but streams of water. This is a very significant indication of being planted by the source.  When you look at the word "streams", It signifies an overflow, gush of overflowing streams. Another important connotation is that it means a consistent flow, just like when we use the word streams of income, it means there is a consistent supply of income coming in. It also means never drying up, as a result of the streams, there is no drought!  This person is strategically positioned by the source- planted by the streams of water. Who is this source you will ask? God! A lot of references were made in the bible indicating Christ as the water that truly satisfies.  John 7: 38- “ Let any...

"For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. 8  Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, 9  Yet  at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant."  Job 14:7-9 Water is life, water brings hope.  I immediately went to my almost dying plants with little hope and began to water it. After a few minutes, i thought i saw some difference but i wasn't so sure. An hour later, i walked back out to check and there it was! The almost dying leaves were alive again! Hope springs! A lot of times, we tend to focus on bearing fruits that we forget that the fruits will grow if the plant is consistently watered. We ask questions about why the business is not growing, why the fruits are not out yet, why its taking so long, but the truth is most times we don't consistently water that desire for growth.           ...

Galatians 6:9 - "A little leaven, leavens the whole lump" I remembered my transplanting teachings from my agriculture class in high school when i noticed the vegetables i had planted in a particular pot wasn't growing. I had watered it and done all that i could, but this plant was just withering away. To save it, i decided to transplant this vegetable into another pot whose vegetables were growing well and i watched to see signs of hope in the coming days.                                                       So many scriptures in the bible points to the fact that the right environment and the people around you are very important. 1 Corinthians 15:33 - "Do not be deceived, evil company corrupts good character" Proverbs 13:20 - "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed" I did learn th...

I just started gardening for the first time this summer, thanks to my neighbor friend who inspired me. All of sudden my eyes opened to a whole new world of learning about gardening and it's true that experience is always the best teacher. I am by far not an expert in gardening, but i'm  willing to learn, the best part of this experience for me is always when i see life burst forth from the ground i planted in. Oh such joy! and such hope! One of the first lessons i learned is to keep watering . I had started seeing the plants grow and doing well, then i started forgetting to water them. I would only water the plants when i remember until one day when i stepped out to the yard to see the plants dying. I remember thinking "what did i do wrong?" It was then it hit me that the cause of my dying plant was my inconsistency in watering . It wasn't about the fact that i had watered it two days ago but that i had been inconsistent. The key to growth is consistency an...

                                    "You Lord, keep my lamp burning;                                      My God turns my darkness into light"                                                                                            -Psalm 18:28. It was my normal night time routine, all was set for me to settle in bed with a book, only that this time something was different... Just like every other night after my very minimalist night time routine, you can't blame me after a long day and finally getting the kids to bed, all i just want to do is get in bed with a good book ...

Growing up in Nigeria, one of my favorite Easter traditions was going to "Galilee" on Easter Mondays. It was always a celebration, celebrating the risen Christ and His victory over sin and death. This tradition of course had its roots from the bible when the disciples went to Galilee to see Jesus after His resurrection (Matthew 28:16). From spending time with friends and families to eating a lot of delicious food... so many beautiful memories!  Moving to the United States, Easter traditions are different here. I remember my first Easter in the US, i seriously questioned why Easter Monday was not even a public holiday in the first  place! After beautiful Easter services on Sunday, life continued normally on Monday, schools, offices and businesses were back to the normal routine. What happened to going to Galilee after the celebration of victory on Sunday?  I found that people had different traditions leading up to Easter Sunday, i was told about a family who a...