In search of beauty

We are in a world where the word opposite exists. As a result of this, we have the words beautiful and ugly. The truth is no one is totally beautiful or flawless and no one is totally ugly, just like nobody is totally good or totally bad.

People just have one thing or the other to complain about. We have cases of people who think they are too short or too tall. Some say they are too skinny and some feel they are just too fat. Some are teased frequently about their 'funny' shape of head. Some get pissed each time they look at their pimples-full face. Some are made to believe they have a terrible skin. Some get worried because they think they have a bad set of teeth or big eyeballs...the list just goes on and on. 

Many people suffer low self esteem because they have been labeled ugly. They have accepted the fact that they are ugly. So, they believe there's someone beautiful out there and they will never be like that. So, they probably stop paying attention to themselves. They tend to throw themselves at people especially the opposite sex, simply seeking some attention and acceptance. And once they find someone that accepts them or pretends to accept them, they hold on to the person so tight, they close their eyes to this person's flaws and they don't mind if the person even hurts them. They just want to enjoy the feeling that someone finds them a bit attractive. Some of these people keep wallowing in self pity about the fact that they are ugly while some take a step further by getting ways to look beautiful by all means which in the end, may lead to a disaster.

Some other people just want to feel good about themselves and be noticed. So, even though they hear it so many times that they are pretty, they are just scared of ever looking ugly. In search of beauty, these people sometimes go to the extreme. They go to any length just to be attractive or called beautiful. They use all the make up they can lay their hands on, do all the available surgeries, buy the most expensive clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, weave-on...but the sad truth is that most times they look worse than they really are. They fail to understand that these things are meant to enhance your look a bit and not transform you into something you are not.

The beautiful truth is that we are all beauty in our own different and special way. Beauty, they say is in the eye of the beholder but you don't have to wait for people to tell you you are beautiful or ugly. Nobody has the right to define who you are. True beauty starts from you acknowledging the fact that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and beautiful/handsome beyond measure. It's more of a state of mind. It comes from within.You...yes, YOU are amazing just the way you are. :)

Isn't there more to music?

Sometimes, listening to some songs or watching their videos just makes me sick. It appears these songs are majorly about two things; it’s either girls are shaking their booty or they create scenario of someone having money and overspending it. And all these make me wonder if that’s all about music. Isn’t there more to music?

There are so many things happening around but they still dwell so much on these two things. What happened to singing about peace and unity among different tribes, religions and nations of the world? How about singing to pass across messages about love that is unconditional, that is not after a lady’s waist alone? How about singing to comfort those that are going through hard times or those living with a particular disease? Or singing to actually express yourself or pour out your mind on a particular matter? What of something on womanhood or motherhood? How about singing to encourage children/youths to work hard and believe they can be who they want to be? There are people that have come up with really nice songs about some of these things and some other things as well but they are few and that doesn’t even happen often.

Well…I’m not saying any song is bad… but as much as anyone wants to sing a danceable song or a song that will definitely attract a lot of attention, I feel a song shouldn’t just be about the beat alone but also the lyrics. The theme, content and concept of the song are equally important. Different people are singing the same kind of songs. Maybe these songs are entertaining but there should be some form of depth and variety in music…music is life and variety is the spice of life.

 

MUCH ADO ABOUT MONEY

Money makes the world go round. How true is that? Money answereth all things, they say but does it actually answer ALL things? Money is beautiful and can get you beautiful things but the question is how far are we willing to go to get it and are we willing to go that far to get those things our money can’t get for us?

We are in a world where it seems money is everything, a world where the poor man hardly has a say. We are in a society where people go to any length to get money even if it will cost them the life of a member of their family, friends or even a part of their bodies. The crime rate is so high because everybody wants to make money at any cost. We are in an extravagant society where everybody wants to show off and wants to be noticed. And all these things just make me wonder if money is really everything, if there isn’t more to life than making money, if there aren't many other things to chase after. It makes me wonder why we feel sad because we don’t have as much money as we want when there are so many other things to be grateful for.

Money can get you cars, houses and other luxurious things but can it buy you peace of mind?

You can buy drugs and pay doctors for treatment but would you not rather have good health that money can’t give?

Money can get you nice clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and make up but can it give you true beauty that comes from within and radiates on the outside?

With money, you can afford to go to a school of your choice, pay your school fees and buy all the books and materials you need but does that guarantee intelligence? Will that alone give you wisdom and courage to face life’s challenges?

Money can get you people’s attention but does it get you their true respect?

Money can get you a girl’s body but can it get you her heart and love? If she stays because of money, what happens when the money goes?

You may drop millions of naira for tithes and offerings or to build a church, but does that give you an automatic ticket to heaven?

…and I can go on and on

Don’t get me wrong. Money is good and it’s good we all have it. But as much as we want money, I think we should work hard and stick to legitimate ways of making money. Before cutting corners, taking bad decisions, duping people, selling our bodies, going against the law or disobeying God, let’s ponder on the questions above. Rather than sit and wallow in self pity because we are broke at the moment, let us thank God for things we have and keep praying and trusting for those we don’t yet. Let us think of and pursue things like love, respect, self fulfillment, passion to pursue our dreams, zeal to make a difference, good health, inner peace, loyalty, heaven, wisdom…which money will never give us.

 

The four-letter word

Staring at the sky now

Watching the stars

I wonder what it would be like

Watching them with someone special

Love is a word I’ve heard people use almost all my life

And day by day

I get different ideas/perspectives about what love is about

And I wonder if I’ll ever get enough

I’ve heard/read love stories

I’ve watched romantic movies

I’ve heard love songs

Some with the ‘and they lived happily ever after’’

Some with the sad endings

I just wonder how my love story will go

I wonder what it will be like with ‘the one’

Some weeks back, I took time to read 1Cor 13 over and over again

Especially from verse 4 to 10

And the fact that there is more to the word ‘love’ became clearer

Going through it again as I’m writing this

I try to analyze it the way I see it

And relate it to ‘the special one’

“Love is patient and kind”

I hope he’ll wait patiently when I really ask him to wait

And be kind enough to be patient when he should

Even when I don’t ask for it

“Love is not jealous or boastful”

I hope he’ll be happy when I’m successful

And not see me as a threat/competitor but as a partner

Also, rather than make me jealous of another woman

He’ll go extra mile to make others wish they could have a love like ours

I hope he’ll not blow his trumpet at the slightest opportunity

Whenever he feels he has done something beautiful for me

“It is not arrogant or rude”

I hope he doesn’t always try to prove that he’s the man of the house, the boss

And I’m just a woman he can use anyhow and dump when he’s through

I hope he treats me with all the respect I deserve

I hope I’ll not just be the mother of his children

But a wife, mother of his children, partner, confidant and soul mate

“Love doesn’t insist on its own way”

I hope he’ll have me in mind when making decisions

I hope I’ll be worthy enough in his sight to give my opinions

If I can’t be put first, I hope I won’t be considered last

“It is not irritable or resentful”

I hope he’ll understand that I’m not perfect

And I sometimes have mood swings and act weird

I hope he’ll not get angry at every silly thing I do

“It doesn’t rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right”

I hope he’ll be a man of integrity

I hope he says what he means, means what he says and practices what he preaches

I hope he truly loves God

And lives his life to please God rather than wallowing in sin

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”

Though I know I’m strong and I can take care of myself

I hope he’ll always stand by me

I hope he’ll never hesitate to offer me his shoulder to lean on

I hope he’ll fight for our love

I hope divorce will never be an issue

And I hope I won’t have course to ‘manage’ our marriage

Or give plastic smiles and pretend as if everything is fine when he keeps hurting me

Just because I don’t want to leave

I hope he’ll never give up on us

“Love never ends, as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away”

I hope our love will stand the test of time

And I hope we’ll be happy together till the end of time

I hope our lives will be like a capsule with a mixture of laughter, understanding, trust, success and joy

“For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away”

I hope when love comes to stay, the fears, worries and insecurities will pass away

I don’t only want this kind of love from ‘him, I also want to show this kind of love to him and to those around. As much as I want to receive this, I want to be able to give this unconditional love. So help me God

Lastly, to those that don’t believe in love or have had their love thrown back at their face by someone they really cared for, I pray God opens up their hearts one more time.

Through the cycle

From the bright and beautiful vision...

Through the great zeal
The burning passion
The unique enthusiasm
The fierce fight
The tough struggles
The strong hope and faith
The encouragement...

To the fatal disappointments
The lost battles
The over-shadowing fears and worries
The bitter tears
The killed morale
The direct and indirect insults...

Now to the keen anticipation
The great expectation
The unavoidable eagerness to breath the air of freedom
To heave a sigh of relief
To have a sleep of peace
And to have a shout of victory...
...that of a conqueror

Through the cycle...with the good, the bad and the ugly, she's still standing...keeping her fingers crossed

Life's little ironies

Sometimes we don’t get what we want

And the unexpected happens

We walk in self-pity because of what happened in the past

While great opportunities pass us by

We run after the big and attractive things

And ignore those little things that really matter

While trying hard to please others

We lose our true self

We love those who don’t really care about us

And we take those who love us for granted

We cry

When our smile could brighten up someone’s day

We give up now

Only to find out later that we were one step away from our destination

We do things secretly

Forgetting that there’s an all-knowing God

We want to acquire all the goodies

Forgetting that it’s all vanity and in the end, we go with nothing

 

KEEP YOUR DREAMS ALIVE

It’s the force that pushes you

Allow it to do that

It’s the gear that transmits your motion

Don’t tamper with it

It’s the fuel that keeps you burning

Never let it dry up

It’s the air that keeps you alive and breathing

Cherish it

It’s the thermostat that regulates your temperature

Let it do its work

It’s the casting that gives your life a shape

Give it your time and pay attention

It’s the beam that holds you in place

Make sure it’s strong so that you won’t collapse

It’s the valve that controls the flow of your actions and thoughts

Turn it to the right direction

It’s the passion for what you love doing

And the desire to achieve your goals and dreams

Keep it alive!