#KidneyTrustFund Your 1000 can save a life

OJB Jezreel was once diagnosed of a kidney failure; a health condition that 1 in every 7 Nigerians is a victim of. Almost every one has a family member or friend or knows someone who is suffering from kidney disease. Using social media, Nigerians rose to the occasion via donations and he was given a second chance at life.

As a way of giving back to society, The OJB foundation is working in collaboration with The Bow Tie Club has launched The Kidney Trust Fund with support from FCMB Plc, Paga, AIICO insurance, Fotolight house, CSL trustees and Vikram Hospital, India to help more Nigerians in the same condition he once was get a second chance at life.

All you have to do is
1. Share this message
2. Follow The Kidney Trust Fund on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
3. Visit www.kidneytrustfund.org and make a donation of N1000.

Donations can be made via the website, paga or direct payments to
CSL TRUSTEES LIMITED/ OJB Foundation
0678691109
FCMB

Your N1000 could save a life!

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256: Cumi

My name is Deborah.
It was my first time. I only needed this time to throw into the ocean what had been an abomination to me previously. Just this one time.

I got caught... 

17, I met and started to experience these specie of human beings. The unsatisfied, the greedy, the perv Specie of the homo sapiens or like my sister will call them "Dirty Old men". I got the occasional winks. "Let me drop you by your house" and all that was fine until it became within close proximity.

18, I started an Internship. First day of work, met with my line manager, supervisor and overall Manager of the Department. It all started with little campaigns as entrusting me with the key to his office, commenting on my innocent look, asking to be his typist in my spare time leading to me earning his Trust - Maybe a little too much, so much that he left a pornographic clip playing in one of his 'Come and stay in my office while I go out' routines and said "Whatever you see there should not leave this Office"

I was wise enough to run before he demanded I do what I saw in the video clip...

I got dragged to the Master...

19, I started my 2nd Internship uncermoniously. On a faithful day, walking into his office to report some work done, He 'pinned' me to the wall in his office. Trying to convince me to kiss him, he placed his hand on his member trying to show me his hard-on.
"Look what you've caused" He said.
I managed to free myself from the 'pin down' without kissing him. Few days later, 2 cute boys and a woman with a protruding belly walked into the office, they were his family but he hadn't been wearing a ring.

"I noticed your countenance dropped when you saw my boys, you didn't do anything. You shouldn't feel bad" was what he said to me when he called me later in the evening.

I was disgusted.

I fell to my knees...

20, Messages going back and forth. I like him, He likes me. He also has a family.

We are not having an affair, we just acknowledge and a couple of flirtatious text messages and calls doesn't do anybody any harm. It was only a matter of time before we took the 'passion' out of the text messages and into reality. It felt good, good enough for me to meet up a 2nd time and a 3rd...

4:00pm Friday, 24th August, 2001

Deb: Hey You.
P: I was just thinking about you
Deb: really? What about?
P: I miss your lips
Deb: hmmm... 
P: Available tomorrow?
Deb: Yes, Time?
P: 6pm. Rm 256. Same place.
Deb: See you Then.
P: :) 
. . .

bang! bang!! 
On the door.
"Are you expecting anyone?" I asked as I stood up to open the door. Once I unbolted the door it flung open and shouts filled the atmosphere.

'Husband snatcher' 
'Useless girl' 
'They' dragged me to this mysterious looking man

I fell to my knees...

I fell to my knees in his presence drowning in the guilt and thought of what will befall me in a minute or 2, he turned his back to 'them' that dragged me down to him after saying something to them that I didn't hear and gradually the shouts died down and you could hear them leave, one after the other. I trembled and still couldn't lift up my head.

I flinched when he tapped me.
"Where are they that accuse you? Has no one condemned you?"

Still confused at what just happened or who this man is "No" I replied

"Neither do I, Go and Sin no more"

I stood up and glanced with curiosity at what he scribbled on the sand

"256"
I looked up at him again and he smiled and said

"I know all"

***Cumi is based on a true life story using John 8:1-11 as a backbone***
What stood out for you?

Have you come to an end of yourself? Have you come to a point where nothing else seems to be working out and you've tried all you could? Click to meet GRACE

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I don't have an appropriate title (2013 Review)

Hello Everyone,

I know this is probably stale but I had to tell of Gods goodness towards me in the course of 2013, by the end of the post you will probably know why I couldn't put it up before now. Here is how my year went and what I hope to do in the new year.

*                                                                          *                                                                    *

Lying on the bathroom floor tugging at my chest like a lion tearing apart its prey. As if to physically remove the pain I felt.
"Why?" I asked
In my mind, I was asking God, but I had also come to a place where I felt he wasn't listening anymore. The emptiness was eating me up. The clutching pain won't let me go. My lips won't part to say word to anyone about my inside.
This was always at night, most nights. I will smile in the morning after touching up my face with some powder or Just simply say
"Its the sleep that made it swollen" to anyone that noticed my eyes.

It was Dec 2012 and I just had a very rough end of the year, enough was enough, I didn't want to go into 2013 with the "depression"
For the first time in my whole life, I decided to sit at home - against my mother's wish ofcourse - for the crossover into 2013, This was going to be the last day of crying with so much pain on the inside.

Pain from being clueless.
Pain from a hurting heart.
Pain from a restless soul.
Pain from a restless heart.
Pain from an empty heart.
Pain from being Jobless.
Pain from shattered hopes and dreams.
Just Pain.

I sat and "talked" with God, cried my system out, tried to pull the hurt - once again. Then I slept into the new year.

You can guess, the year didn't start on a very high note for me, I had gotten rejected for my masters application and I wasn't even motivated to brush up my CV not to talk of applying for Jobs.
The constant nagging of my parents about me not going for Interviews

"Or you are not applying?"
"Or you don't want to work?"
"Which one do you want to do?"
I will just mumble a reply and let it rest.

I started going to my mother's Shop and I just got introduced to Andrew Wommack(Thanks Mandy). Everyday, I would drive to 'work' (Mother left her car for me on most days) and soak in the sermons, every Wednesday, I would go for morning prayer meeting which was attended mostly by the older women in the church, my tiny self, with just one or two men (Really? Are women more prayerful?)

I did all of these diligently, week in, week out.
I had a dream on the 17th of Jan, one that shook me to my very core and at the same time made me happy.
*Cuts out insignificant part*
I was on my way home and I saw 2 demon-like creatures that stood in my way, I called the name of Jesus to rebuke them and guess what? They laughed in my face "You this small girl calling a name you know nothing about" I got scared and ran back.

I didn't see a light or a bright white person but I just knew God came on the scene, this is how I put it in my journal

"God showed up among them and his voice was so calm, soothing and with so much authority like he was giving a command in the nicest voice. Not shouting and all.

Like saying "She called and I answered" maybe not in those exact words and the demons scattered into pieces of flesh"

I later wrote "Don't shout, Help is on the way"

I got a Job in March and between the time I had the dream and when I got the Job, I went for 3 interviews in those 3 weeks. My mum missed me in her shop and I miss going for Prayer meeting. 

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call" ~ Joel 2:32

Before now, I was the only one in my house that didn't have a passport not to talk of travelling by air. In the first 3 months of working all of that changed.

In my plan, I had "Move out" as a 2014 goal, but I got an apartment by the end of August 2013. I Live in a semi-empty, small place, nothing fancy by the worlds standard, but I Love it regardless. 

I "planned" to start saving for my Camera in 2013 and get it by the end of the year, I got one by the middle of the year. I have no idea how all of these happened, It was just evident that God tore my "plans for 2013" sheet off and handed me a new one.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

I think I attended like 4-5 different churches this year and finally settled in one, attended 4 gospel musical concerts (yay) Loved every bit of it. I Loved God and will continue to Love God.

This my small blog got to 50,000 hits this last year and the number of people that God blessed through my crappy writings was just really humbling, I started Daily Exhortations and there were some days I didn't have Bible Verses to share from not studying the Word the previous night or week and I wanted to just quit, but people just tell me in those times (talk about perfect timing) How the daily exhortations has blessed them in ways I can't understand. So, I kept on, I keep on - Daily, bringing Gods word to you one verse at a time! 

God is faithful, I tell you.

I cried so much in the year, cut my hair in one of the low points too, I had days of not knowing where the transport fare for the next day is coming from, not having what to eat and God showed up at the nick of time.

Recently My mum were joking about something (Can't remember exactly)  But I remember telling her that she won't know when I don't have money and she kinda 'yimu-ed' at me, then I went on to ask her If she knew about the days I walked to and from work, she looked back at me in disbelieve till my sister confirmed it. 

In those days, God still showed up.

"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" Psalm 8:4

The end of the year had us celebrating December in the Hospital, not sleeping at night, waking up to go to work from the hospital, taking turns to go sleep at home. I watched people watch their loved ones die on Christmas day, boxing day, New years day. Sigh. 

Makes you just sit back and be Thankful (I will write about this when the smoke finally clears) 

I learnt not to limit God, I learnt to praise in the storm and put on my faith-life-Jacket because the storm raged, but I am here - standing. Lets not even talk about the days I fell, face flat, took me some time to dust myself off and stand again but the word says 

"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again..." Proverbs 24:16

I am NOT looking forward to the new year - yet because I know Gods going to do a new thing and I feel like I didn't enjoy this phase enough but one thing I will do (regardless of how I feel) is.... "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

I don't know what this year holds and although I've written my hopes and Visions for the year and given to HIM to do with it as he pleases, Its already the end of the first week and I already feel direction-less (Typical x_x) But, I really don't care all I want to do is seek God this year and let him take over my life, I know he has the compass, won't it be foolish of me if I don't carry my cross and follow him? 

Hope Its not too  late to say Happy New year? :) 

Happy New year Lovely people!! Lets make 2014 worthwhile shall we? 

Cheers

*Raises glass*

Have you come to an end of yourself? Have you come to a point where nothing else seems to be working out and you've tried all you could? Click to meet GRACE

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Recovered - My Testimony

I must have mentioned how much God answers prayers on this blog before, He did it again this morning, I would mention later in this post.

***Disclaimer: The title has more to do with 1samuel 30:18 than it actually has to do with this post, there are somethings i don't understand too***

Anyways, straight to what God did for me. Since God met with me in the dusty town of Kontagora (click to read the story) i have been basking in his Love, learning and craving more of him. I've become so spiritually ambitious, Me sef i know i am x_x

That aside, the first week of this month was easily the hardest i had to go through.

It started on the Monday, 1st of July. During the day i started feeling a pain on my left arm and at first i thought it was because of the air conditioning, i endured through the day hoping that it won't last long.

Fast forward to like 20:00 and i've had dinner already and i was doing my round of reading for the night, the pain came back, just on a particular spot on my arm. Soon i was feeling numb, from my legs gradually my arms and i just laid there, looking up at the ceiling and balling my eyes out.

The engulfing feeling of it being the end was all around me, I have never felt anything so strong, Imagine if you know that you won't wake up the next day?  at that time i could not pray(and i still don't know why) a few minutes later as if a bulb was turned on in my head, I dragged my self to my feet(numbness and all) and i started praying, didn't know what i was praying for or against but i prayed, spoke in tongues and cried till my soul felt content, it felt like i was given a breather. the pain relieved me and i was feeling a lil better but that voice will not stop telling me that it was the end.

with the little strength i wrote somethings down in my journal, telling God that i didn't understand what was going on in my body, psalm 23 and little goodbye notes to everyone that mattered to me with tears streaming down my eyes (If they ever found the journal that is)

Trust me, it was not easy at all, i felt stupid for writing it and at the same time i felt really convinced that it was the end, i thought of not sleeping at all, but i prayed some more and some more till i slept off.

I woke up, without pain, without the numbness.
i wrote
"I don't know whats wrong with my body, please save me" and he did exactly that.

The rest of that week wasn't so much fun and all but i went through it with Gods help, by Friday i can in his presence rejoicing and now more than ever sure why he has me here and pumped to get it all done before its time to go home to him.

**************************************************************

"Dear God,

Who are you? 
Thats all i want to know. make known yourself to me who you are, your essence, your principles, your process, your works, your power, your majesty, your all. Everything. Let me know who you are.

Your daughter,
Tomilola"

This was me yesterday, some guts i have right? but i have just been on this journey with him and listening to different peoples opinion of who God is, it was just enough for me and i wanted to hear from him myself. i wrote this having absolutely no idea that he would respond the way he did and so quickly.

I know i still said the prayer this morning, but still didn't expect an answer.

There are so many things i know that my mind can't still wrap around. he came through less than 24 hours later after writing.

This morning i was chatting with my best friend and still teasing him that he got to work early as its never the case with him *side eye* (not like he would read this sef) and out of the blue he sends me this bible verse, let me point out that Sope doesn't send me Bible verses like that unless the need arises which has been just once in recent time.

Amos 4:13(KJV)
For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name.

(CEV)

I created the mountains and the wind. I let humans know what I am thinking. I bring darkness at dawn and step over hills. I am the Lord God All-Powerful!

I paused and asked why he sent me the verse and he said he had no idea and i instantly told him that i knew why he did, and told him about my question to God and he was marveled. Now, as i am still wrapping my head around the fact that GOD just told me who he is, by himself in all his GLORY and POWER, i've been smiling sheepishly like a mumu all day and to think that my relationship with him is just beginning. Jeeeeez! Is he not amazing? 

Song of the day: I stand in awe of you - Hillsong

P.S: Someone unexpected decided to go through my 23 before 24 list and is helping me achieve 2 of the things on that list by next weekend and i also got gifts this year, books, make-up, shoes, cake, pizza, drivers licence and above all i got a deeper relationship with my father.

What more could a girl want? 
Now are you going to praise God with me?!?

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Do we still ask God Questions?

Hello,

I really did not plan to update this blog today but i just don't know i just feel the need to share one of the quickest replies God has given me (in the past week) to my request, to help understand i would be posting my journal entries for a couple of days from last week, i really hope this helps someone.

source

***Disclaimer: What you are about to read are my conversations with God and i am very care free and i speak  write jargons english(anything to express myself honestly to him) so, don't hold 'em against me.

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The Seer: Redistribute II

Hello people,

I know, i should've written this for a long time. This is the second part of "Redistribute" and if you missed the first part read it here. Enjoy!

source

The 5000 capacity auditorium is located at the heart of the city, and every week was filled to the brim. Few kilometers around her are residential buildings, office spaces and some of the city's highest administrative offices.

The power of the holy spirit filled the atmosphere

"No man can do this except God be with him" was my first thought as I looked around when I walked in the auditorium.

That was over 5 hours ago.

The screams I expected to hear by now was of people from different works of life, backgrounds and tribes praising God in dance and music.

But I wasn't prepared for what I heard.

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The Chair

I was going through a rough time and my friend @DeboAj gave me a task to write 3 stories within week with a happy ending, it was indeed a challenge because, at that time i was down in the low and writing was the last thing on my mind, not to talk of a happy ending, but i managed to write this "gba je n simi" (Take let me rest) story, hope you enjoy...
***********************************************************************

"i, my name is toun and I need a fix” I had heard about The Chair  and how everything said in it becomes confidential, hoping that silly introduction I made becomes confidential too. Although I knew that was the official introduction  for “whatever” anonymous, I also just assumed it was appropriate for “the chair”.

Finally, I was lying on the infamous chair, the chair where many people where many people had admitted their worst fears, the chair where many people have discovered their life’s purpose, the chair that has lead to insanity for some.

It took me a lot of courage and time wasting to make it to this chair, this is my first appointment, I gave a sigh of relief, which did everything but hide my fears. It was okay, I was here. My journey brought me here. And its far from over.

Graduating from the University with a first class degree, I had so many offers for a job. I was 22. I was excited, I loved my life. I started work with the oil company that offered the highest Salary. The firs year was fun, I got paid huge money, lived alone for the first time, partied when I had the time, got a car after the first year. I was basically living the life. Not for long.

I got a promotion, I should  be happy right? No. My boss is lazy, he dumps all his work load on me, I started working 6am-9pm and I still take some work home. My life became routined, I  go to work, get take out food on my way back, sit in the same chair, use the same type of plate; which is disposable by the way, because I don’t have time to do the dishes, sit at the tv; when I don’t have work then I fall asleep. I am 24 and I don’t have a life outside work.

I live everyday like a zombie, I have my cloths and shoes arranged according to the days of the week, I have not gone out on a date in 2years, everyone at work gives me the “weird” look and whisper when I walk pass, I don’t mind. I’m excellent at my job, that consoles me. Its all I’ve got. I’m 27 and nothing has changed.

Sitting at the table one Saturday staring at a pile of workload  I had to go through, out of the blue the tears came running rushing, then the question “For how long, Toun” uncontrollable tears followed my huge question. I didn’t have the answers, I had just gotten to the point where I admitted I needed a chair. The chair. That was 6 months ago, here I am now in “The Chair” trying to talk to a total stranger to make sense of my life. This is my appointment, the first of many. I hope.

The chair has become a place of solitude, a place where I make sense of all the chaos, a place where I let it out, sitting at the other end of the room is my therapist, every Thursday, 3 months together, I put the pieces together. The chair was worth it.

I quit my job, picked  up a camera and I looked at the world through a lens, I did that weekdays and enrolled for weekend make – up classes, started going out a lot, made new friends. I met a man as I went for one of my outdoor shoots, we are going out on a date.

I’m 28. I picked up the pieces of my life and it all started with an appointment with the chair.  

What do you think?

Love

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Scars - Imperfect me

Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you - Aldous Huxley

Don't waste your pain, use it to help others - Rick Warren

Growing up riding a bicycle one can only imagine how much "injury" scars I have, but since I was blessed with a very short memory, I can't remember the story behind all the scars, but some stories you can't just forget why? Because you learnt from them the hard way.

Let's back up a bit what are scars? 

Scars are areas of fibrous tissue (fibrosis) that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound (e.g. after accident, disease, or surgery) results in some degree of scarring.

I would like us to look at wound here as either physical or emotional.

I have 2 physical Scars that I would never forget; One is the Amala Scar, don't laugh yet, here is the behind the scene story...

*flashes back to 3 years ago*

She had stopped taking anything made out of Cassava which automatically means no more Eba, this is not good news for the house Angela (house girl) me, because that's good bye to the quick and easy lunch and welcome Amala.

This faithful afternoon, my mum got back from school and asked me to go make amala for her to eat, as usual I grumbled and dragged my feet to the kitchen and started the process, for those that make amala (Normal one oh) you know its not complete till you put the pot on the floor and turn it right? Still burnt that It was only me they send all the errands, I started turning and what next? I felt the cold then hot sensation on the heel of my right leg, a lump of amala flew out the pot and balanced on my leg, how that happened I don't know, I just know I screamed and what did my mummy say? "When you won't happily do what I ask you to do, go and put cold Ogi" at that moment I got angrier that I got hurt working for her and that's all she could say but later I realised she said the truth.

Amala Scar

Today even if I'm tired and I don't feel like doing certain things I force myself to smile through it.

After she had screamed about it countless times. It only took a lump of hot amala, 1-2weeks of limping and I learnt not to grumble.

Did I mention that I finished making that amala? And my mum ate?

*sigh*

One leg sticking out the gutter, the other in the gutter, me in pain and "sorry, Tomi" in the background gave birth to this scar. It was a narrow gutter which was why both legs couldn’t fit (I was not that tiny), I went to fetch water from our modern day stream when I fell. This scar has always reminded me of that phase of my life I spent in Ife, which by the way wasn't the best, but I learnt

- I learnt that there would always be consequences for your actions

- Learnt about friendship. The good, the bad, the backstabbing and the ugly

- Learnt about dirty old men that try to take advantage of naïve young girls

- Learnt to speak Yourba better

- Learnt to do my laundry

- Learnt to stand up for myself

- This was where I picked up my sharp mouth

- Learnt to be by myself for the first time without my parents

One way or another every scar helps us to be stronger weather Physical Scars or otherwise, we just have to think about the experience and how it has helped us shape who we are today.

When I thought about writing this, the idea came to work with people on this one too, where anybody can send me his/her story about Scars that have helped strengthen You in whatever form, Someone recently told me he has a story but he just doesn't know how to write, so I'm saying here now that this isn't a competition, it’s just to help people learn and I also want to learn from other people's experiences.

I titled it SERIES OF SCARS. This is my public invitation be my guest experience teller, Share your story and if you feel you can't write it, just tell me about it and I will work on it for you, plus if you want to be anonymous that's also very welcome.

If you are interested and you want to share your story, please send a mail to me tomi_akibo@yahoo.com

Please share this post and let's get more experiences.

Thanks a lot.

Love.

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