Open Letter To My Daughter (Part 2)

Dear Daughter,

Sometime last year, I wrote a piece to you and now, it is imperative that I do it again (will ensure I make it a yearly practice till we see face to face). As long as the earth revolves around the sun, I won’t stop evolving into the man I am called to be and to the leader you will be proud to have as your dad and friend.

Tabby, I picked up my pen just to enlighten you about an angelic monster tagged “breakups”. I encountered many great minds wrestle with this monster in my youth (I experienced a few until I finally met your mother who turned out to the best thing that ever happened to me). I have seen breakups reduce soaring minds to sinking objects in the ocean of life and to those who play by the rules, breakups should be another form of breakthrough. It is my responsibility to train your fingers to war with this beast and defeat it effortless if it dares to cross your path. So, help me lord!

                                                          Photo Credit : Mespetitsbonheurs.com

Breakup happens when a party (or both parties) in a relationship, decide to put an end to their journey. That awkward moment when someone thinks the only smart thing to do is to part ways and let go. It is the end of the journey of the couple together but not the end of your own journey into the arena of purpose and destiny. A breakup can either lead to a breakdown or breakthrough; it’s a question of capacity and choice.

Firstly, relationship and marriage are God’s own idea and should be governed in accordance with his values and standard. A Godly relationship doesn’t give you the license to do what you like (or what is politically correct or generally acceptable), instead, it constrains us to always do what is right (according to Godly principles).

 

 

For instance, sexual involvements in relationships has lost its stigma and has become an acceptable norm because of immense change in public opinion. Sweetheart, premarital sex is a taboo where you come from and not getting involved in it makes you strong and superior (contrary to what the society preaches). Do not be part of those folks Kemi Seddy tagged Matthew 7;7 ladies (Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…). In my youth, sexual abstinence was rare in relationships, rather, it was a common practice even within my circle. I can also say emphatically that, no matter how strange sexual purity will be in your days, it will be seen as normal even amongst your peers (I TRUST YOU WON’T DISAPPOINT DADDY) .

Photo Credit : Frontera.info

I have observed that folks who honour God in this area of their lives, handled breakups better than folks who did whatever they liked in their relationships and as such, saw it like ranting giants crumbling the shell of their burden. Depression and frustration only occupy the vacuum designed to be filled by God’s presence.

My daughter, please kindly find you before he finds you. You should not say yes to a man when you haven’t said yes to your assignment here on earth because: there is a level of sanity and fulfillment you only enjoy if you are in the center of your assignment on earth and if you don’t locate it, you will keep looking for it in the wrong places especially in the WRONG KIND OF relationships (there are good relationships, we thrive on them). Nobody’s absence should devalue you, you are enough! In the real scheme of things, purpose completes you, people only complement you: so, when people walk away (and they surely will), be assured that you have nothing to lose. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Photo Credit : Borev.net

Since I was born and now I am getting old, I have never seen a purpose-driven mind wrecked totally because of disappointment in a relationship. Though their weeping may endure for a night, but they launch out with zest and excitement in the morning. Breakups only birth heartbreaks and if you wallow in it—If it affects the core of your esteem and distorts your self-image. Discovering your purpose and doing what you are designed to do, fortifies your esteem against any emotional terrorism.

 

Lastly my princess, your assurance is in God’s word (don’t look elsewhere ) and in  your purpose, are buried untold loads of accolades.

 

I shouldn’t forget to tell you this : You don’t have to break a sweat about locating your purpose while you have me as your father and leader. It is my assignment to show (teach) you the way to go in life and equip you with all the resources that would make the journey fun yet adventurous. Trust me, I am fully ready for that and by God’s grace, I would execute my task as your father effortlessly.

 

YOU KNOW I LOVE FEEDBACK…YEAH? ABEG DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT DROPPING YOUR COMMENTS!

 

 

WE ARE ALL IN SIZES

Photo credit: zebleymark

“Don’t wear dresses that are too tight. A size number is just a number. If the fit is comfortable, it will look more elegant.”– Tadashi Shoji

These past few weeks have been characterized by a downpour of gifts. Some folks have decided to pamper me and I presume they are gradually succeeding. The treats keep coming in good measures, pressed down, shaken together, and running over and I hope the honeymoon continues forever. Nevertheless, this period is punctuated with some tinge of pain because the shoes I would kill to have in my wardrobe, was oversized, and the coolest among the shirts was way too small for me. I had to let the water flow past me even though I thirst for them so badly.

 

This experience reminds me of what one of my Lagos fathers, Mr. Muyiwa Ojo (MO as we fondly call him), told me many years ago about marriage:

 

“In marriage, there are three possibilities. You can marry your size, congratulations; You can also end up with an oversize, however, it will take you a lot to fit in and you might eventually get it right but it depends on a whole lot of factors; and the last obtainable possibility is marrying an undersize which will result in a limited life and you have to keep enduring or walk away”.

 

Photo credit : CCCCPPPJ

I am a student of the school of thought that says, “Men are in sizes and life is in phases.” I believe we should know our size per time and the phase of life we are undergoing at any given moment. SIZE CALLETH UNTO SIZE.  My size as a toddler is incomparable to my teenage size and what I wear now is totally different …This phenomenon is called growth. It should be noted that our size hits its limit at some point in our lives which doesn’t mean we have stopped growing but it reflects the restriction mother nature had placed on us . Adulthood is the picture of our real size in life—by design, adulthood is the phase we are expected to have launched into the endless pool of destiny(the size I am talking about is our adult size).

 

I once observed my 4-year-old little cousin step into his father’s safety boots like an elderly man steps on a boat from the riverbank. He gave me a wry smile as I used his baited him with his favourite toy, yet he pretended like he cared less about the toy at the moment nevertheless, I was certain that the little boy was only restricted by the oversized shoes he had found himself in. For a moment, he became immobile, held back by the chain of awkwardness that comes when you get in a fight you never prepared for. However, I seduced my little hero further and he finally dared to move, struggled to take a few steps but he wobbled like a chicken infected with Newcastle disease and finally stumbled. That is what happens when you choose to ignore your size and embrace an oversize simply because it is available or it massages your ego. An oversize spouse doesn’t only bury the beauty of your inner treasure it is also very draining yet very avoidable. Now I know why David refused to face his Goliath with Saul’s oversized armour.

Photo credit : Peppinopeppino magazine

Undersized spouses are even more torturous because to fully adapt, you have to swim against the flow of nature. God created everything to grow, expand and multiply, thus, it is anti-nature to shrink, reduce or downsize . Sadly, the anti-nature way is the only way to adapt in this kind of dealings which I believe is factually impossible.

 

Photo Credit : PeppinoPeppino Magazine

An undersized spouse, causes you pain right from the very first minute of encounter with them. Some folks, especially ladies (I am sorry if I am wrong) don’t mind risking an undersized shoe as long as it is beautiful and compliments their outfit. I have also seen these sets of ladies display their disloyalty at the highest peak by going for an occasion or the office with spare shoes or slippers to save the day immediately the affliction becomes unbearable.

I don’t care if she is beautiful, godly and caring or if he is a great leader, hardworking and responsible if he or she is not your size then you have to think again.

How do we get to choose our size? It is very simple. Your real size is directly proportional to your knowledge of your assignment on this earth. Beloved, choosing will become a thing of trial and error if you are still clueless about your life’s purpose because any nice and beautiful thing looks inviting to you and you will keep hearing voices from different sources.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

If this make sense to you at all, Kindly let me know via the comment session right here and feel free to share the gospel

 

My 10 Unforgettable Quotes by Paulo Coelho

Few weeks ago, a friend of mine who is a blogger, birthed an amazing post on her blog giftcollins.com. She shared ten most inspiring quotes (as preferred by her) from one of her idols, Maya Angelou. She did not drop her pen until she tagged 10 bloggers to share 10 quotes that inspire them and influence their life and style (Am I a blogger? Thinking aloud!!!). But guess what? Rockdweller was among the ten amazing bloggers she tagged. What a refreshing challenge at that phase of my life where writing seemed more like hewing a rock than locking of lips and wordpress.com is not just boring but debasing (hopefully, very soon my self-hosting dream becomes a reality).

Babe, I count it a rare privilege. We both know, you have more than 500 bloggers and writers within your circle of influence, so, tagging me among the privileged ten is something to shout about but I will try to be calm.

Singling out my top 10 most inspiring quotes has been more challenging than telling my landlord about his halitosis. Trust me, settling down with one person was even more difficult though Gift Collins had permitted that I use quotes from as many people as I wish. However, I chose to stick to just one amazing soul (she shared just Maya Angelou’s quotes so I choose to stick to the same gun (Shouldn’t I?).

 

Martin Luther king Jr, Old Abey, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Atteberry, Gandhi, Donald Trump (yeah, you read that correctly) and many more great men, were deeply considered, but the ray of light from Paulo Coelho’s tent is more inviting to my soul. Paulo Coelho de Souza is the author of ‘The Alchemist’. It is one of my favourite books of all time and I think that the fact that it is an international bestselling book translated into more than 70 languages, should tell you something about it. If you haven’t read this book, hide you face (In Davido’s voice).

As for me, Paulo is a combination of depth, creativity and wisdom little wonder he is rated the most influential writer of modern era. The Brazilian Novelist and lyricist’s philosophy of life and my belief system, are extricably intertwined so this piece is dedicated to the master of wit.

 

 

 

Here are my 10 unforgettable quotes from him in no particular order:

1.  If you start by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it.

Fake life limits you from maximizing your potentials. Celebrate where you are today and trust God to take you to where you belong in your imagination.

2. Love can consign us to hell or to paradise, but it always takes us somewhere.

Relationship must set the vehicle of your life in motion whether you like it or not. It either sails you towards destiny or farther away from destiny. This explains why you must be extremely careful who you are exposing your life to.

3. Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.

My landlord puts it this way: “What is working for you can work against you.” Celebrate the blessings in your life per time. Honour and again, honour! Many treasures (people, opportunities, talents etc.), can only bless you when you recognize them and celebrate them.

4.  Don’t be intimidated by other people’s opinions. Only mediocrity is sure of itself, so take risks and do what you really want to do.

The best way to restrict your life is by attending to people’s opinions

 

5.  You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it.

Shit can happen but don’t stay in the shit. Don’t be buried in the sinking sand of your past. Break out of the prison of your excuse.

6. Don’t waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.

I don’t explain myself expect I think the listener really loves me and deserves my explanation. I believe my words are expensive so I rather not waste them.  Many people conclude even before they give you a chance to air your views.

7. Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.

Paulo is a Catholic so I believe he just handpicked this from scriptures.

“Luke 12:34 KJV: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

 

8.  There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

                This is too direct. It speaks for itself.

9. When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.

The desires of our heart eventually becomes the reality of our lives. As you think, you become. Let your desires be godly. Ungodly desires are destructive and you might get it if you don’t ditch it.

10. Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.

Don’t be afraid of failure. If you don’t get desired results, you will get the experiential knowledge.

 

Kindly let me know your favourite quote out of these 10 even as you drop your comments and share.

Have a great weekend ahead.

Billy Graham : A life beyond amazing .

“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.”–Billy Graham

It is no longer news that the great evangelist and televangelist, Pastor Billy Graham, has gone to be with the Lord. The new media was flooded with the news as soon as he drew his last breath, to his genteel lie in state at the rotunda of the US capitol, to his final burial in Charlotte NC where he slept side by side with his darling wife, Ruth Graham, and up until this very moment.

My health finally got the attention it deserves last week and that kicked me into a state of compulsive rest as a friend called it. I seized this moment to meditate and for some reason, the name Billy Graham crept into my lofty mind. I read a bit about him and I drew this conclusion without fear of being misunderstood: Billy Graham is indeed one of the greatest men to have ever walked the surface of this earth. In fact, he belongs to the league of men the world isn’t worthy to host according to Hebrew 11:38. It’s a huge privilege to know that such a man was once amongst us.

Nobody should doubt the magnitude of a man responsible for mentoring great men like Rick Warren who pastors a megachurch in Southern California. “Billy was the greatest Christian of the 20th century, in my opinion,” Warren said. He further added: “The greatest thing about him was having done ministry for 60 years without any scandal.”

Graham maintained a policy called the “Billy Graham rule” that he would not travel or be alone with a woman who wasn’t his wife, a rule Pence has reportedly followed himself (I won’t subscribe to this plan though… LOL).

I don’t think I need to tell you Billy Graham’s type is extremely rare. His integrity has encouraged millions to heed his spiritual guidance, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Bono, Muhammad Ali and United States presidents from Eisenhower to Bush. In fact, he has been rated by the Gallup organization 51 staggering times as “One of the Ten Most Admired Men in the World”. He is the fourth private citizen to be lain in honour (rather than lie in state) in the US capitol rotunda since 1793.

His death pulled as much crowd as his lifetime. It wasn’t surprising to see aristocrats in white evangelicalism, including entertainers like Kathie Lee Gifford and Steven Curtis Chapman; pastors Rick Warren and Joel Osteen; popular speakers Ravi Zacharias and Beth Moore; and political figures Ben Carson and Sarah Palin on the guest list.

Everything written about this 99-year old man is amazing but this in particular, really hit me:
He preached Christ to more than 215 million people in live audiences in over 185 countries. This is just incredibly amazing!

Graham has been credited with preaching to more individuals than anyone else in history, not counting the additional millions he has reached through radio, television and books. It was recorded that he reached over two billion people in all with his gospel of Jesus Christ.

NOTE: The world population as at 1970 was 4 billion so it is safe to say he reached over 50% of the world in his prime.

For a moment, let’s think this way: God created everything for his pleasure so he is the chairman and CEO of this organisation (Heaven and Earth PLC). Everything in this organisation revolves around a product and a brand known as JESUS. We have been employed (recruited) to market and sell Jesus to all creation. Imagine a colleague of ours who has spoken to more than a Billion prospective customers about the same brand we all claim to represent?

Friends, if a man could do this without any social media handle, then no honour is enough to match the level of his sacrifice as he paid the price for his purpose. He deserves our honour and this is the least I can do to say well done Papa.

I noticed many people wrote as if he had it all rosy and calm, they painted the picture that he was everyone’s friend. Graham suffered some great persecution even within his fold; he was not in everyone’s good book. He was criticized on various levels, his approach to the gospel was attacked. Some wings of the church attacked his style as been too simple and watery.

Bob jones once called him an enemy to the gospel of Jesus. He was grossly attacked for giving Martin Luther king Jr a platform to amplify his voice. In all, he walked through the valley of the Shadow of attacks, and he came out unhurt.

Sleep tight Father Billy!

If you feel blessed by this Kindly drop your comment as we all appreciate God’s gift wrapped in human flesh.

Get Lean

“The irony of the human condition is that it is the narrow gate to life. Few find it because they are too fearful to look ” — RJ Blizzard

The phrase ‘get lean’ swam into the ocean of my mind while having a conversation with a great friend. He wrote: “the journey ahead requires leanness.” I read that a few times and began to mediate on the uncommon phrase. It has been one of my guarding light since then.

As I pondered on these lines, Matthew 7:14 walked into the corridor of my imagination:

“But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure), and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:14 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).

Your entrance into the gate of greatness, requires a high level of leanness. You cannot afford to go with all your excesses, you need to deliberately put aside whatever and whoever is not necessary for the journey ahead and lay down those things and relationships that are potent enough to weigh you down. The journey is very long, so you must learn to travel light.

The first principle of productivity requires that you streamline your strength and attention to a few tasks per time. To produce more, pruning must be engaged:

“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he prunes it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2).

The word “prune” means to cut off some of the branches (of a tree or bush) so that it will grow better or look better: to reduce (something) by removing parts that are not necessary or wanted.

Every generator is limited by its capacity (KVA). You are equally designed with limited abilities. To maximize your potential, you need to invest your energies strictly on needful and productive tasks; Deliberately Prune Your Life.
You cannot afford to live a drained life because you are trying to keep up with every activity around you. Do not wear out yourself trying to reach out to everyone around you. Remember, everyone is not part of your assignment.

Sometimes, it is smart to ask God first before we jump into the stormy water to save someone. I strongly feel there is a season where you need to differentiate people who are assigned to you from those who are attached to you (and vice versa). Be smart!

I recently got involved in some time-consuming projects and immediately I knew I would be useless to myself and probably my generation if I dare keep up with all my previous responsibilities and duties. I counted my cost as I began to cut down many activities (including writing and reading) even as I adjusted to cope with my new phase. Some acquaintances misinterpreted me and that is fine. Do I owe anybody an explanation? Hell no!

I believe I can do all things through Christ that empowers me. However, I do not believe I am empowered to do everything. I cannot help everybody, I am too weak to be a great friend to everyone, I can’t afford to attend every great conference, I will not reply every chat and respond to every mail and calls. I can’t even remember every birthday. I cannot attend every wedding ceremony and birthday party, in fact, I might even forget to keep some of my promises (I will always try to keep my words though but do not forget that I am human).

Life is short, and I have got to live it well. I want to trim down enough to run through the narrow gate of destiny without breaking a sweat.

Professors are masters of specific (narrow) field of study. I want to invest my energy, time and resources to the very narrow field I am called to dominate. I am not ashamed to be a novice in your field, I might be clueless about the trendy fashion shows and reality TV shows, but I won’t be caught at the gate with excessive loads and burden.

Writing this wasn’t easy but it was worth it . Do you feel inspired by this piece? If Yes. Kindly drop your email and let me know you were blessed and do not forget to share .

Have a great weekend ahead.

My Race and my Plead

Life is a marathon and I think I have been involved in the race for a while now. I have seen the strong fainted, I have witnessed mighty ones melting like snow and I have seen the weak renewed their strength like eagle. From a colourful childhood to an adventurous teenage now adulthood had dawned on me and it is high time I laid the bricks of a desirable future.

The last 356 days was a blend of pleasant and nasty events –I fought many wars (lost some and won many), I invested wrongly, I trusted in arms of flesh and I got bruised badly for my stupidity, I waved bye to ‘valuable’ relationships, I was misunderstood by loved ones, I was called prideful, arrogant even foolish because of my convictions. Before you begin to dab your misty eyes (lol), I think I should let you know that my blessings out-weighed my pains—I had great and incredible victories (many I cannot even share). I enjoyed unusual favour and grace from strange sources, I enjoyed witty creativity for solving problems, I was blessed with resources from near and continents away (my gates were continually opened). One of my greatest source of strength and inspiration happen to be the league of extraordinary champions who surround my life with caring and intelligent friendship during my darkest night and my brightest days! My friends are great gifts that never stop giving—they gave words, prayers, cash, deep counsel and blunt correction (when necessary).

Trust me, people are my greatest asset…God bless everyone (my readers, friends, pastors, families and fellow writers and bloggers) who had made my race easier in one way or the other. I love you all deeply!

My life (even yours) is in volume of a book, and many chapters are gone like yesterday (never to appear again) I hope I read every word aloud and glean every wisdom within each page.

Photo credit : Lisbethlora

MY PLEAD

May I be sensitive enough to differentiate between shadow and substance

I pray for speed in all that I do but may I always remember that the fastest lane is waiting upon the you.

I pray for unusual intelligence and creativity in the act and craft of writing, but may I never be good enough to write the script of my life (and abandoned yours).

May I always remember that my location and circumstances do not threaten your purpose for my life .

May I never forget this : Pearls are only birth from the union between excruciating pain and terrible irritation.

I pray for courage of a lion, but I don’t want to be bold enough to walk through life without the great shepherd.

I pray to be wiser than Solomon yet stupid enough to trust you even when you cannot be traced.

I pray to be strong enough to slay giants with my bare hands yet too weak to ignore wise counsel of my friends

May I receive discernment to spot my life prophet even when they are scattered among my friends

May I always receive prophet in the name of a prophet that I may get the prophet’s rewards

May I be stupid enough to follow your leading without feasibility studies or professional consultation

May my breakthrough not lead to my breakdown.

May I be wise and bold enough to separate those attached to me from those assigned to me.

May I be intelligent enough to shield my soul from the roaring praise of men and protect my panting heart against to the arrows of insult, discouragement and criticism from my foes.

May it be spoken of me that I walked with God like Eunuch

May my walk with God be a memorial before His throne even forever

Just like Abraham, may my offspring and descendants drink from the fountain of my sacrifice on the altar of my God

In this life, May I soar higher than the eagle and see farther than the eagle.

AMEN AND AMEN.

If you did not regret stopping by kindly let me know by dropping your comments in the comment box.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead.

Undying Love

He was born only to die for me?
Who am I that He is so mindful of me ?
Loves me so much and gave his whole self for free.
Perfectly replaced my tortuous guilt with an endless glee.

Willingly, He went like a sheep to the slaughter.
He cringed under the weight of the cross just to turn my sweat into laughter .
He endured the pain and was whipped publicly for my wholeness.
His face was covered in smelly spittle, for my greatness.

He saw my flaws, yet chose to marry me eternally.
He is a responsible lover who provides my needs even simultaneously.
A romantic hubby who tattooed me in His palms forever.
His grace swallowed my imperfections once and forever.

He loved me first even before I knew how to love.
With him there is no problem too big for me to solve.
He loads me with untold benefits, and yes, He does it daily
I will seek you forever, in fact, I will do it daily.

All Yours

You have always been my saviour… Abba,
come reign as my Lord.
Being full of myself proves that I am void of your words.
Father,take this water and turn it to wine.
I lay me down and I’m no longer mine

I set ablaze the idols hanging on the wall of my heart.
For without you I am only a mere mobile work of art.
I lay me down as an eternal offering.
I will submit to you when I am full and when I am suffering.

Here I am at your glorious throne;
For a building is nothing without the cornerstone
Prune me lord that I may be fruitful.
Purify me, that I may be useful.

I lay down my guns to lift my hands
Dwell in this temple and let me this carrier of your brand
Early will I seek you and always will I serve you
My walk with you will leave my descendants glued to you

Your Temple
OLATUNJI ROCKDWELLER

Parenting 101

“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents” .- Jane D. Hull

One of my golden friends suggested this topic many weeks ago. I cannot emphatically explain why I did not delve into it immediately, however, the subject has been trapped in the cage of my imagination since then.

This piece is my personal perception about parenting and the role of parents in the lives of their children (biological and otherwise), and I am certain it is not outside the code of the scriptures. Am I qualified to discuss parenting?  Yeah…I am 100% qualified! I was once under parental care (and I still enjoy some parental attention from wonderful people), and on the platform of grace, I have been privileged to play parental role at various times, in the lives of a few brilliant minds.

Parents are the first entrance of anyone into this world. They are the first picture mother world painted for us about God, life and anything that matters. It is foolishness to argue with the fact that we are products of our environment and our parents are the first environment that bade us welcome to this world. We are not just carriers of our parental genetic materials, we are also carriers of their influence, values, culture, impact and other factors that matter. In this context, maturity means unlearning some toxic values and fortifying the structure of great values we imbibe from our parents.

CONCEPT OF PARENTING

Being a parent doesn’t automatically put you in the position of ownership in the life of your child. Children are not properties nor are they pets: they belong to GOD. You are mortal so you lack the ownership right and capacity of another mortal. In the grand scheme of things, parenting is nothing but stewardship.

In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy. 1corinthian 4:2 (AMP)

A Steward’s values and trustworthiness, can be deduced from his loyalty and submission to his boss’ (the real owner) instructions. However, this is not the case for the unfaithful steward. The most destructive traits in stewardship is having an ownership mentality (I am sure Lucifer understands this concept better). Please, I appeal to you to uninstall this mindset when it comes to your children. Nobody can be fully successful as a parent without a sound relationship with God and undying obedience to his instructions.

I grew up seeing parents (even mine) parading themselves as proud children owners; they determine their children’s schools, career path in life (majorly based on their own ego and self-aggrandizement) and paying zero attention to their children’s skills set or consulting the real owner of the wards in their care. My grandma and aunties have preferences where one should choose a spouse from, my mum on the other hand wanted my brother and I to be medical practitioners. Nothing scares me like the passion and pressure these ‘children owners’ exert to bring their personal will to pass in the lives of their children. They would literally shift mountains to make their will happen caring less about whose ox is gored. I have had my encounters with children owners and I must tell you, it wasn’t funny!

THE REAL ROLE OF A GODLY PARENT

Provision of food, shelter and clothing are the primary parental responsibilities according to what most of us where taught in Social Studies, and sadly, many parents have drawn solace from this societal heresy as being their only obligation and what makes them parents. Beloved, you don’t have to be a parent before playing these roles in the lives of people around you. If all you do as a parent is pay bills, then you are of all men most miserable. Anybody can perform that role but only a few others, can lead their wards into destiny. In a sane society, you cannot own an ordinary pet until you are certified financially capable to handle such responsibility. Children who do not have someone or people paying their bills are called orphans, so if you are not paying bills then you are dead. However, payment of bills is barely enough.

In my opinion, the major task of a godly parent is “provision of direction and leadership for their wards”. Great parents are those who are submissive to the leadership of God concerning the journey of their children and are willing to lead and encourage them through their pathway of purpose. Great parents lead their children the way they should go and lead them into prosperity.

Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it. —Proverbs 22;6 (AMP)

Point your kids in the right direction— when they’re old they won’t be lost. (MSG)

Contrary to popular beliefs, I feel the discovery of purpose on the one hand, is a parental responsibility while specialization in purpose on the other hand, is a personal responsibility. This is what I mean: Mr. and Mrs. Joseph knew Jesus was going to save the world somehow, however only Jesus had the full scope. If the briefing the angel gave Mary and Joseph concerning Jesus’ purpose played a huge role in Jesus destiny and ministry, then having a clue of your children’s purpose in life is of utmost importance.

In my little study about the world’s greatest folks (living and dead) who touched lives and influenced cultures while they are here and even after they have crossed to the other side of eternity, for example, men like Michael Jackson, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, Hemmingway, Stephen King, Beyoncé, Cristiana Ronaldo, Neymar Jr etc, I discovered they all have one thing in common: they are all early starters. While their counterparts were learning ‘Ali is a boy’, they were buried deep into purpose and destiny doing exactly what they are born to do. On the average, outliers in any field start at the age of six (6). A six-year-old child knows nothing expect to trust the leadership and mentorship skills of his or her parents.

Friends, every child is unique and they deserve to be given what I call ‘customized parenting’. Not every destiny deserves to be exposed to the whirlwind of the University (especially Nigerian Universities considering the quality of output gotten from products of our institutions). There is a way every child should go which leads to peace and prosperity and they need leadership to lead them in that direction, else they will choose the way that seems right to them which leads to frustration, depression and destruction. Let us stop teaching a lion about flying and a sheep about roaring and hurting. Trust me, some knowledge is unnecessary, and some stress are avoidable.

2018 IS GONNA BE AMAZING…HAPPY NEW YEAR!

OLATUNJI ROCKDWELLER

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CHASING A THOUSAND

“I hold that a strongly marked personality can influence descendants for generations.”
― BEATRIX POTTER

Many years ago, an announcement was made during the church service instructing the Vivacious Legacy Youth to wait behind after the service for a brief, yet important meeting with our father in the Lord, Pastor Tunde Bakare. My presence in the meeting came with a truckload of sacrifices, but these two weighed much more than the rest in my teenage years;

• I missed Manchester United match (which was a few hours away from the time for the said meeting)
• I had to let go of being chauffeured home in an air-conditioned not-too-plush SUV (and trust me, the overcrowded city of Lagos is not a place I love to jump from one worn-out yellow bus to another, like a young monkey leaps from one branch to another in the thickest part of the rain forest: at least, not when I look my best in a black tuxedo suit, white shirt and a red tie).

Sometimes, I think the sun is more scorching on Sundays: SUN-DAY – the day of the week when king sun is on the throne.

I arrived my room panting like that deer in the book of psalms (who was panting for water in the desert), even as beads of sweat meandered down the upper part of my lanky body. That was the price I had to pay for the 17 minutes with Pastor B (which for the records was my best decision of that said year). Believe me, that encounter was one of the most impactful moment of my entire life. He spoke very calmly, each word pierced through my heart like a two-edged sword. His fatherly voice was mixed with contagious passion and undying love; I couldn’t help but connect like a son listening to the last words of his dying father. I gleaned everything, and I would be generous enough to share one or two things I learnt from the meeting after eight years.

Pastor Tunde Bakare started by telling us that a great father doesn’t raise great sons instead great fathers raise greater fathers (making great fathers of us was one of his goals), because in the grand scheme of things, everything produces after its kind; gods birth gods, mortals beget mortals. As children of God, we are gods. As children of the one true King, we are kings, and as offsprings of the Lord of hosts, we are lords, He being the KING of Kings and the LORD of Lords (Selah).

Secondly, Pastor B taught us that God is a God of accountability and we are expected to be accountable. He flipped the pages of his bible and read a few verses where the writer was talking about one shall put a thousand to flight and two shall chase ten thousand. He paused for some seconds and let out a deep breathe before saying and I quote: “The smallest and weakest among us right here is responsible for at least one thousand lives during his or her lifetime.” My muscles melted in awe as I heard the number and wondered how this little me can be held responsible for at least 1000 lives. “How could this be?” was the question locked in the prison of my little mind and I am quite certain I wasn’t alone in that realm of amusement.

Pastor B broke down the concept of purpose and talents. He also taught us how to master relationship and power of partnership as it concerns greatness. However, that is not the objective of this piece.

He continued to read scriptures to support his claims about one putting a thousand to flight. He joggled different verses and unveiled the mysteries locked in each. He continued by saying, “We all have a unique purpose and no matter how simple or little any God-given purpose seems, it has the capacity to change at least a thousand lives provided the carrier of the vision is ready to pay the price and pour all of him into doing it within the confines of Grace. You must discover your purpose early in life and choose to invest your time, energy and resources into it until it is refined enough for global consumption. Fulfilling your purpose is always against all odds. You will have to fight and sweat, be misunderstood and rejected, but you have to stay true to what you believe.” He also talked briefly on the mountains of influence.

Pastor B referred to these 1000 folks we ought to be chasing, as our audience and reiterated that they are waiting for us to maximize our potentials because their lives are hinged on what we carry on our inside (we carry the capacity to influence them for greatness directly or indirectly). Some of our life audience are hanging around us even on social media while many are even still unborn. You must not disappoint them and by so doing, hurt God.

Have you located your primary assignment on earth? How well have you refined it? Are you serving humanity through it or you are still trapped somewhere else in looking for survival?

Have you not heard that the weakest amongst us should be like David and the strongest in our midst will reign as gods? If David slayed tens of thousands, then that figure is our minimum. Your influence can only be multiplied when you are within the confines of the God-given purpose for your life.

Pastor B also talked about what I love to title “the law of partnership” which states that when two folks who are chasing at least a thousand each come into partnership, they automatically put at least ten thousand to flight (instead of two thousand using normal arithmetic calculation). In healthy partnership 1+1= 10 (Your math teacher was wrong).

He closed the meeting by enjoining us to focus on maximizing our potentials and be conscious of the weight of responsibilities ahead of us. Find yourself and your purpose before you expect someone worthy to find you, be useful to lives attached to you before you can be eligible to have an external helper.