Three hundred and sixty five!
That’s the number of times God said, “Fear Not” in the bible and that goes at least one “fear not” for every day of the year.
What is it that we are so afraid of?
Why would God insist on telling us “fear not” every day of our lives?
What is that strikes so much fear into our hearts?
This survival contrivance called fear; a distressing negative sensation induced by perceived threat, happens to be the greatest enemy humanity has ever known and its hold on our lives should never be underestimated.
But God will always tell us not to fear!
I don’t know about you but I fear God the most! And in a distant second, I fear the ignorance that pervades our society today and like the Bible says in Hosea 4:6, “My people perish from lack of knowledge.” I don’t know your fear but that is mine.
We cannot readily think of any human behaviour or emotion that doesn’t have fear woven into it, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of love or hate and several others. Many will quickly disagree with this because they are afraid of being labelled weak or afraid; thereby becoming slaves to their fear of failing to appear strong and capable. but then, we were designed to be strong and capable and that’s why the Bible says in 2nd Timothy 1:7, “for the lord did not give you a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love and self-discipline”, that notwithstanding, fear has remained the most dominant and controlling factor in our lives today as human beings and it is pushing us beyond the barriers of the above injunction!
Are you afraid there would never be an end to the killings going on around you? “Fear them not which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul...!”
Is it poverty that you’re afraid of? Have you been so poor that you can do anything not to go back there again? The fear of going down that lane has pushed a lot of people to committing heinous crimes; ostracising friends they feel remind them of poverty and in worst cases, their parents and siblings?
Are you afraid people will learn the truth about you? Many can do anything just to protect the web of lies that represents their lives today? Web of lies so fabricated and believed in by the liars that a little threat of making it open takes them on a suicide mission.
Some people are just afraid of being humans that exhibit emotions or appear vulnerable or embarrassed; and that’s when you see them trying so hard to exhibit nonchalant attitudes to what concerns others; making you believe that they don’t care and that nothing touches or bothers them.
But knowing where we stand and what we stand against is the one key capable of resurrecting us from our graves of fear. And as long as we lack the knowledge of what the Bible declared in Det. 1:21, ”Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath
said unto thee, fear not, neither be discouraged”, our fate will be like the man who discovered a cheque of an enormous amount of money decades after the demise of his grandmother. The woman was afraid she was going to lose the “beautiful piece of paper” and had it framed; not knowing it was a cheque her wealthy employer left her and which could have left her and her grandchildren wealthy.
Does your fear stem from the thoughts that you will one day grow weak and cease to be that pillar of support to others that you’ve always been?
Fear has driven some people to ostracise their friends and carry on as if they are some kind of research specimens and to subsequently develop the feeling that whatever anybody around them does is to test their reactions. Some even develop the scary feelings that they are constantly being watched.
Are you afraid that without drugs and drinks, you cannot muster up enough Dutch courage to measure up to others? “Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life; but with me, thou shall be in safeguard”.
Must you continue to have butterflies in the presence of others, become a sociophobe; spending every night and day fearing any kind of social exposure and thinking about how to avoid even the remote presence of others?
Are you afraid you’re not getting enough or might lose the approval, attention and affection of people around you?
God knows that we all exist in the shadows of our fears and that’s why he asked us in the scriptures to “fear not!” a record three hundred and sixty five times.
We fear the unknown; we fear rejection, failure, loneliness, pain loss of freedom, disappointment and misery. We are afraid of being ridiculed but the fear of our own death is the greatest fear for human beings. The one fear that has for centuries, taken people from one place to the other seeking for protection where there is destruction?“
Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them!” But confronting our fears one after the other obviously confirms that we have fears and ultimately gives us reasons to believe that there are things to be afraid of.
However, fear narrows our focus and prevents us from being fluid and accepting change and people around us. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Wine and Wedding
What is a wedding ceremony without wine I dare ask?
Even Jesus knew it a long time ago that there exists an important connection between wine and wedding.
Easy on the wine first!
It is said that when the love of a woman enters the heart of a man, nothing else matters! The same can also be said of when the love of a man enters the heart of a woman. It’s an indescribable feeling; but then, what else can adequately describe that feeling between a man and a woman who are truly in love and are on the verge of exchanging marital vows other than the delirious intoxication of wine? And for such couples, just like one high on wine, nothing else matters!
Love intoxicates like wine and just like a glass leads to another, and yet to another, love often leads to proposals through to weddings which in turn seals marriages. And again like wine, marriages are supposed to mature with age; from the wedding to living together and subsequently adding values to the union. Such is the big connection between wine and wedding and in other words, marriage!
Have you ever wondered why turning water into wine was the first miracle Jesus Christ performed even when his time had not come? It really had to be VERY important! And oh yes, it was! That singular act was to underscore the significance of the sacrament of matrimony between a man and a woman!
In John 2:1, Jesus turned water into wine because he knew what a disaster the wedding at Canaan would have become when the wine the celebrants brought suddenly finished halfway through the wedding ceremony. It would have been a big disgrace for the bride and bridegroom and a huge embarrassment to the guests.
The big lesson thereof is that the miracle of turning water into wine and saving a wedding ceremony from becoming a disaster was possible because Jesus was INVITED to the wedding in the first place!
The wedding over and in the course of living together as husband and wife, coming face to face with crossroads of marital life and other problems, the exhilarating effects of the wine of love begins to fade from the eyes of the couple. And like magic, the intoxication is gone and in their soberness, they begin to see the defects in their partnership and might begin to wonder if they were blind when they got married to each other in the first place.
Suddenly, the wine is finished in the middle of the wedding!
There is panic as what happened at the wedding reception in Canaan begins to reenact in the lives of couples. They are faced with the disgrace of the inevitable, when wine finishes at a wedding. They sit in a world of their own and watch as guests vilify them for not making enough wine available, laughing at their misfortune while some might come to advice them on how they could have planned better.
The tears begin to flow and regrets can no longer be suppressed and for those who have no option, another marriage hits the rocks!
But for those who INVITED Jesus to their wedding and probably made him a permanent INVITEE, the bland and tasteless waters of their marriages will be turned into wine when disaster lurks. And like what happened in Canaan, the new wine will be better than they would have ever imagined and the intoxication sets in again and people will be awed and wonder at the happiness the couples exude!
Raise a cup of wine to those who have invited Jesus Christ to their wedding!
Even Jesus knew it a long time ago that there exists an important connection between wine and wedding.
Easy on the wine first!
It is said that when the love of a woman enters the heart of a man, nothing else matters! The same can also be said of when the love of a man enters the heart of a woman. It’s an indescribable feeling; but then, what else can adequately describe that feeling between a man and a woman who are truly in love and are on the verge of exchanging marital vows other than the delirious intoxication of wine? And for such couples, just like one high on wine, nothing else matters!
Love intoxicates like wine and just like a glass leads to another, and yet to another, love often leads to proposals through to weddings which in turn seals marriages. And again like wine, marriages are supposed to mature with age; from the wedding to living together and subsequently adding values to the union. Such is the big connection between wine and wedding and in other words, marriage!
Have you ever wondered why turning water into wine was the first miracle Jesus Christ performed even when his time had not come? It really had to be VERY important! And oh yes, it was! That singular act was to underscore the significance of the sacrament of matrimony between a man and a woman!
In John 2:1, Jesus turned water into wine because he knew what a disaster the wedding at Canaan would have become when the wine the celebrants brought suddenly finished halfway through the wedding ceremony. It would have been a big disgrace for the bride and bridegroom and a huge embarrassment to the guests.
The big lesson thereof is that the miracle of turning water into wine and saving a wedding ceremony from becoming a disaster was possible because Jesus was INVITED to the wedding in the first place!
The wedding over and in the course of living together as husband and wife, coming face to face with crossroads of marital life and other problems, the exhilarating effects of the wine of love begins to fade from the eyes of the couple. And like magic, the intoxication is gone and in their soberness, they begin to see the defects in their partnership and might begin to wonder if they were blind when they got married to each other in the first place.
Suddenly, the wine is finished in the middle of the wedding!
There is panic as what happened at the wedding reception in Canaan begins to reenact in the lives of couples. They are faced with the disgrace of the inevitable, when wine finishes at a wedding. They sit in a world of their own and watch as guests vilify them for not making enough wine available, laughing at their misfortune while some might come to advice them on how they could have planned better.
The tears begin to flow and regrets can no longer be suppressed and for those who have no option, another marriage hits the rocks!
But for those who INVITED Jesus to their wedding and probably made him a permanent INVITEE, the bland and tasteless waters of their marriages will be turned into wine when disaster lurks. And like what happened in Canaan, the new wine will be better than they would have ever imagined and the intoxication sets in again and people will be awed and wonder at the happiness the couples exude!
Raise a cup of wine to those who have invited Jesus Christ to their wedding!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Valentine And The Rejects Part II
Faces are glowing
The excitement is in the air
No one wants to be left behind
That's what Valentine's Day does
It’s not all that it does though
Some faces stay gloomy at the mention of it
Scars of loss in the battlefield of love
On the 14th day of the 2nd month
But take it or leave it
By dawn of the 15th day of the 2nd month
When the battle must have been lost and won
There would be the chosen at the peak
And the rejects at the bottom of the valley
Some hearts will be mended
More than a few other hearts would be broken.
I know it's beautiful to be a chosen one
But being among the brokenhearted
Or rejects isn't the worst that can happen
Resorting to self pity kills faster
It's painful
Especially when you've put in a lot
But then
It becomes a time to release yourself
From emotional and sentimental bondage
If you find love on Valentine’s Day
It’s a feeling that slowly and swiftly warms the heart
When you smile for another was abandoned for you
There’s yet another 14th day of another 2nd month
What goes around might come around then
And you will also become a number
Swelling the ranks of those thay hate Valentine’s Day
I might not really know what that day means to you
But for me, it is a also a day to face inwards
And confront yourself on the meaning of your relationship
Which way does the wind of your love blow?
Let the joy of your love reach the less privileged
But for those whose tears wash away their joy
It’s not the end of the your world
For happy are those who find peace, joy and direction in rejection.
Happy Valentine's Day
The excitement is in the air
No one wants to be left behind
That's what Valentine's Day does
It’s not all that it does though
Some faces stay gloomy at the mention of it
Scars of loss in the battlefield of love
On the 14th day of the 2nd month
But take it or leave it
By dawn of the 15th day of the 2nd month
When the battle must have been lost and won
There would be the chosen at the peak
And the rejects at the bottom of the valley
Some hearts will be mended
More than a few other hearts would be broken.
I know it's beautiful to be a chosen one
But being among the brokenhearted
Or rejects isn't the worst that can happen
Resorting to self pity kills faster
It's painful
Especially when you've put in a lot
But then
It becomes a time to release yourself
From emotional and sentimental bondage
If you find love on Valentine’s Day
It’s a feeling that slowly and swiftly warms the heart
When you smile for another was abandoned for you
There’s yet another 14th day of another 2nd month
What goes around might come around then
And you will also become a number
Swelling the ranks of those thay hate Valentine’s Day
I might not really know what that day means to you
But for me, it is a also a day to face inwards
And confront yourself on the meaning of your relationship
Which way does the wind of your love blow?
Let the joy of your love reach the less privileged
But for those whose tears wash away their joy
It’s not the end of the your world
For happy are those who find peace, joy and direction in rejection.
Happy Valentine's Day
Sunday, December 18, 2011
I Have Something To Say
You’re the fairest of them all and they never cease to be awed as they laud and applaud the handiwork of God and none ever jawed you my love. Your beauty is not flawed because you’re not a fraud. I will fight and claw to make your path so broad
You make me recite how much skintight my love fits to your heart because I’m your knight that always comes to your fight. I will hold you through the night till our spirits are truly light with the delight we know how well to excite.
You have been a dearest friend and you alone I will always send. I will bend even to break just to make amend to blend in your life my love. They can’t comprehend how much I depend on your trend because you don’t pretend.
How long has it really been since my soul desires to be seen by you. I will trek even to Berlin to feel you addict me like caffeine because I’ve truly missed you and your Africa cuisine. I’m keen my love not to allow anybody come in between
I’m so proud you’re well endowed and because you give me the happiness of a crowd, you make me scream aloud when you exude that appeal that puts me in the mood and I make you reach for the cloud. Your love feels like food to my soul
You’re aware I value you more than air because you’ve shown me how much you care by making me an heir and I feel like a billionaire in this love affair. I swear nobody out there will dare to compare with you my rare luminaire
Never met any that’s half the woman you are and as I quaff of your love and because you’re not a diamond in the rough, you make me feel like a chief among my peers. You make me laugh even when times are tough and make me call bluff of those who think I should‘ve had enough
Assuaging my fear with each passing year, you’ve made me appear drunk without a drop of beer and fearless like a brigadier. I will commandeer what whatever you find so dear and make all your worries disappear and veer you away from any wear and tear.
I’m not in contest for your love because you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. You’re my crest of affection and my chest can’t contain all your zest even if compressed. I’m blessed you’re mine and will stay away from all that you detest
I will always have something to say about the way you make me sway and Cupid will first betray love before I delay to tell you how much I love you from day to day. I will whisk you to fantasy land straight away and never allow you to stray
I still have something more to say my love
You make me recite how much skintight my love fits to your heart because I’m your knight that always comes to your fight. I will hold you through the night till our spirits are truly light with the delight we know how well to excite.
You have been a dearest friend and you alone I will always send. I will bend even to break just to make amend to blend in your life my love. They can’t comprehend how much I depend on your trend because you don’t pretend.
How long has it really been since my soul desires to be seen by you. I will trek even to Berlin to feel you addict me like caffeine because I’ve truly missed you and your Africa cuisine. I’m keen my love not to allow anybody come in between
I’m so proud you’re well endowed and because you give me the happiness of a crowd, you make me scream aloud when you exude that appeal that puts me in the mood and I make you reach for the cloud. Your love feels like food to my soul
You’re aware I value you more than air because you’ve shown me how much you care by making me an heir and I feel like a billionaire in this love affair. I swear nobody out there will dare to compare with you my rare luminaire
Never met any that’s half the woman you are and as I quaff of your love and because you’re not a diamond in the rough, you make me feel like a chief among my peers. You make me laugh even when times are tough and make me call bluff of those who think I should‘ve had enough
Assuaging my fear with each passing year, you’ve made me appear drunk without a drop of beer and fearless like a brigadier. I will commandeer what whatever you find so dear and make all your worries disappear and veer you away from any wear and tear.
I’m not in contest for your love because you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. You’re my crest of affection and my chest can’t contain all your zest even if compressed. I’m blessed you’re mine and will stay away from all that you detest
I will always have something to say about the way you make me sway and Cupid will first betray love before I delay to tell you how much I love you from day to day. I will whisk you to fantasy land straight away and never allow you to stray
I still have something more to say my love
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Let Me Take You There
I know some exotic places
Places I want to take you to
I know this place
A place where the clouds will be your pillow
And the winds caress with airy fingers
A place where the sunset creates lovely silhouettes
Places you can only dream of
Dreams I can only make true
This and more I want to give
They call it Atlantis
Where clothes worn leave everything else to the imaginations
Hallucination is out of the question
Let me take you there
I will make you feel better than the orgasmic apples of Avalon
I know another island
I know Beimini
Paradise home of the fountain of youth
I will take you there
Let me take you to El Dorado
Shower you with gold
Adorn you with diamonds that will shame City of the Caesars
I will take you there
I will take you to Cockaingne
Where ethereal bliss awaits
I am your genie
I will grant you all the pleasures you’ve only imagined
Take you away from the distractions of the modern world
And give you all the happiness of Shangri-La
I could take you to all these magical places
But let me take you to my heart my darling
Cos nothing I’ve said compares to it
Allow me to take you there
Places I want to take you to
I know this place
A place where the clouds will be your pillow
And the winds caress with airy fingers
A place where the sunset creates lovely silhouettes
Places you can only dream of
Dreams I can only make true
This and more I want to give
They call it Atlantis
Where clothes worn leave everything else to the imaginations
Hallucination is out of the question
Let me take you there
I will make you feel better than the orgasmic apples of Avalon
I know another island
I know Beimini
Paradise home of the fountain of youth
I will take you there
Let me take you to El Dorado
Shower you with gold
Adorn you with diamonds that will shame City of the Caesars
I will take you there
I will take you to Cockaingne
Where ethereal bliss awaits
I am your genie
I will grant you all the pleasures you’ve only imagined
Take you away from the distractions of the modern world
And give you all the happiness of Shangri-La
I could take you to all these magical places
But let me take you to my heart my darling
Cos nothing I’ve said compares to it
Allow me to take you there
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Strong Thing
I used to imagine what went through your mind
Each time you saw me on your TV screen
Do you think I am taking it too far?
Or you still think I’m doing my job as an actor
Strong thing wey you dey do me
Imaginations that made me uneasy
Are you pleased with what I do?
Or do you feel like fast forwarding my scenes
Is switching off the TV ever an option?
Strong thing we you dey do me
Even with the call for action
Still wished I sat beside you on the sofa
So I could watch you
And make me on the screen irrelevant
Strong thing wey you dey do me
I eventually found a refuge in my thoughts
Each time I played the villain
I played I was avenging a hurt done you and if I got killed
I died well thinking you felt the pains as the bullets hit me
Strong thing wey you dey do me
Even in death. . .
I wished I could wink at the camera
Just to remind you it’s still a movie but then. . .
Nollywoodforever, Nollywooduncut, MsTilii and the rest will crucify me
Strong thing wey you dey do me
Far be it from my mind to make you jealous
Each time I kissed my beautiful colleagues passionately
I could call your name and wink at the camera again but. . .
If only all the princesses in movies could bear your lovely name
Strong thing wey you dey do me
When I played the knight in shining armour
You imagined you’re the princess I was fighting to save
The thought makes me act better. . .
And tell myself I was born to do this
Strong thing wey you dey do me
It’s taken me years to be here. . .
A lot of hard work to win your love and admiration. . .
I know it comes flashing before your eyes
As you watch me fight to win her love on screen
Strong thing wey you dey do me
If only you can say . . .
“That’s my man’’¸ as you watch me act
I can throw my gauntlet at any critic with a smile in my heart
Can they feel or understand how much you inspire me?
Strong thing wey you dey do me
I used to think it was just a job
But when I realized it was one moving constant that reminds you of me
Even when you’ve not seen me for like. . .
Pleasing you becomes the job and acting becomes a pleasure
Strong thing wey you dey do me
You love what I do
I love the way you love what I do
Inspiring me to be the best
Don’t stop this thing you do to me
Strong thing wey you dey do me
Each time you saw me on your TV screen
Do you think I am taking it too far?
Or you still think I’m doing my job as an actor
Strong thing wey you dey do me
Imaginations that made me uneasy
Are you pleased with what I do?
Or do you feel like fast forwarding my scenes
Is switching off the TV ever an option?
Strong thing we you dey do me
Even with the call for action
Still wished I sat beside you on the sofa
So I could watch you
And make me on the screen irrelevant
Strong thing wey you dey do me
I eventually found a refuge in my thoughts
Each time I played the villain
I played I was avenging a hurt done you and if I got killed
I died well thinking you felt the pains as the bullets hit me
Strong thing wey you dey do me
Even in death. . .
I wished I could wink at the camera
Just to remind you it’s still a movie but then. . .
Nollywoodforever, Nollywooduncut, MsTilii and the rest will crucify me
Strong thing wey you dey do me
Far be it from my mind to make you jealous
Each time I kissed my beautiful colleagues passionately
I could call your name and wink at the camera again but. . .
If only all the princesses in movies could bear your lovely name
Strong thing wey you dey do me
When I played the knight in shining armour
You imagined you’re the princess I was fighting to save
The thought makes me act better. . .
And tell myself I was born to do this
Strong thing wey you dey do me
It’s taken me years to be here. . .
A lot of hard work to win your love and admiration. . .
I know it comes flashing before your eyes
As you watch me fight to win her love on screen
Strong thing wey you dey do me
If only you can say . . .
“That’s my man’’¸ as you watch me act
I can throw my gauntlet at any critic with a smile in my heart
Can they feel or understand how much you inspire me?
Strong thing wey you dey do me
I used to think it was just a job
But when I realized it was one moving constant that reminds you of me
Even when you’ve not seen me for like. . .
Pleasing you becomes the job and acting becomes a pleasure
Strong thing wey you dey do me
You love what I do
I love the way you love what I do
Inspiring me to be the best
Don’t stop this thing you do to me
Strong thing wey you dey do me
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I Heard
I’ve been searching for another like you
But those words never ceased to haunt me
One day you will wake up and not find me
You said those with tears in your eyes
They didn’t mean much to my uncaring soul
With the grief of a child, I now remember
I’ve wished for nothing else but what we had
But I heard you are now happily married
I never knew there weren’t two of you out there
Reaching out for you in others is a mirage
I remember you say tearfully
“I love you but you are hurting me”
Now I wish I could even say that to you
As long as I have you in my life
But sadly, I heard you’re now happily married
You gave me your all and I gave you nothing
I know now it hurts not to be in love with you
Just like others before her, she’s nothing like you
I heard you are now happy
Squeezing out a river of your tears from the pillow we shared
How much pain did I cause you? I miserably ask myself
Where was my selfish heart when tiny drops of hurt tears
Ran a river down your heart and your love sailed away
I heard he makes you very happy
Sitting at a corner staring at the pieces of my heart
Broken by those I thought were sexier than you
My pride is gone but heartache keeps me company
I am sad but I heard your laughter now rings out
Can’t believe I sacrificed all you had for me
On the alien altar of uncertain scarlet women
And now I am paying for my waywardness
As I gazed at the pieces of my own broken heart
I woke up and realized that you are gone
I heard you are now more than happy
Zafaa Awards 2011
I won a nomination at the just concluded
Zafaa Awards Nominations Ceremony in the Best
Screenplay Category!
Please cast your votes for Emeka Amakeze for
Best Screenplay with the movie - MAIDENS @
www.zafaa.com
But those words never ceased to haunt me
One day you will wake up and not find me
You said those with tears in your eyes
They didn’t mean much to my uncaring soul
With the grief of a child, I now remember
I’ve wished for nothing else but what we had
But I heard you are now happily married
I never knew there weren’t two of you out there
Reaching out for you in others is a mirage
I remember you say tearfully
“I love you but you are hurting me”
Now I wish I could even say that to you
As long as I have you in my life
But sadly, I heard you’re now happily married
You gave me your all and I gave you nothing
I know now it hurts not to be in love with you
Just like others before her, she’s nothing like you
I heard you are now happy
Squeezing out a river of your tears from the pillow we shared
How much pain did I cause you? I miserably ask myself
Where was my selfish heart when tiny drops of hurt tears
Ran a river down your heart and your love sailed away
I heard he makes you very happy
Sitting at a corner staring at the pieces of my heart
Broken by those I thought were sexier than you
My pride is gone but heartache keeps me company
I am sad but I heard your laughter now rings out
Can’t believe I sacrificed all you had for me
On the alien altar of uncertain scarlet women
And now I am paying for my waywardness
As I gazed at the pieces of my own broken heart
I woke up and realized that you are gone
I heard you are now more than happy
Zafaa Awards 2011
I won a nomination at the just concluded
Zafaa Awards Nominations Ceremony in the Best
Screenplay Category!
Please cast your votes for Emeka Amakeze for
Best Screenplay with the movie - MAIDENS @
www.zafaa.com
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Our Direction
It truly was not my decision
Admiration initially drew me to her
Her words pictured my aspirations
Inspirations her actions evoked in me
And I rose to her love and protection
Instructions I could not wait for
Because I knew it was my function
Perfection was what stared at me
Told her so because I had the gumption
I earlier never put her into consideration
But now limitations now no longer exists
And we’re moving towards one destination
Zafaa Awards 2011
I won a nomination as the just concluded
Zafaa Awarda Nominations Ceremony
Please don't forget to cast your votes for
Emeka Amakeze for Best Screenplay with the
movie - MAIDENS at www.zafaa.com
Admiration initially drew me to her
Her words pictured my aspirations
Inspirations her actions evoked in me
And I rose to her love and protection
Instructions I could not wait for
Because I knew it was my function
Perfection was what stared at me
Told her so because I had the gumption
I earlier never put her into consideration
But now limitations now no longer exists
And we’re moving towards one destination
Zafaa Awards 2011
I won a nomination as the just concluded
Zafaa Awarda Nominations Ceremony
Please don't forget to cast your votes for
Emeka Amakeze for Best Screenplay with the
movie - MAIDENS at www.zafaa.com
Zafaa Awards 2011 Nominations
Yours sincerely, Emeka Amakeze won a nomination for Best Screenplay with the movie MAIDENS at the just concluded Zafaa Awards 2011 nominations ceremony.
Do cast your vote for a fellow blogger at www.zafaa.com
Do cast your vote for a fellow blogger at www.zafaa.com
Friday, July 1, 2011
We’re Better Than God
We are the products but we know our manual better than our creator and in our mortal intelligence, we have conquered our environment except for a few we will still master. Yes, we will master them because we’re not afraid of Earthquakes and Tsunamis.
Some of us can be very annoying sometimes and God can testify to that fact. He couldn’t take it at a time and had to use flood to wipe out almost everybody. But then, he didn’t have the stomach for it and never tried it again. I just wonder the kind of admiration He will have for us knowing that we used atomic bomb to wipe out people but have since moved to nuclear bombs and still have the stomach to kill others with machetes and even bury them in mass graves.
Are we not better than God?
Agreed that He gave the Israelites freedom by bringing them out of Egypt but he left the common Egyptians to suffer in the hands of their leaders but without the fear of sounding too proud, we have given the common Egyptians the freedom God should have given them! Phewwww! One for us, people!
When God said we shouldn’t have any other god besides him, what was he thinking when money was already in circulation? I guess we’re just too smart. We do everything for money but we don’t call it worship although it’s a god; while God is there waiting for us to bow down before one effigy or the other
What level have we not taken jealousy? We bathe people with acid and leave them a gory sight! We sever private parts in fits of jealousy. We ultimately kill without second thoughts when pushed by jealousy yet God said he’s jealous yet He forgives all things! Shouldn’t he learn the meaning of jealousy from us and accept the fact that we are his betters?
Don’t you question what’s in a name that God should tell us not to take his in vain? Isn’t it just a name? For goodness sakes, we wear smiles on our faces and tell others what bad bitches and motherfucking dudes we are? Haven’t you seen how cool our friends react when we call them hoes and bitches? Guess God is not fly enough to answer SexyGod or HotGod etc
And what’s with this working for six days and resting on the seventh day? God should have tried planking for some recreation! By the way, we don’t work on the seventh day, we only prepare for what awaits on the next first day
We are simply smarter and better than God and as you are reading this, I’m sure you’re coming out with more facts about how we’re better than God that will help strengthen these non exhaustive thoughts of a smart specie
If a father should call his son, “son of a bitch” right in front of his mother and they are cool with it, I wonder how such a son would honour his parents. We’re smart enough to know that respect is reciprocal. When a husband thinks that beating his wife is the hallmark of manhood and wife thinks that teaching her daughters that running around with men pays better, it becomes easier for us to deduce that when a Police officer marries a Prison Warder, they’re likely to give birth to Prisoners! Are we not really smart?
And who says we commit murder? We don’t kill because we want to? It’s just about serving out justice. We judge people, find them guilty and we kill them even if we don’t know what they committed. There is always collateral damage! I guess God never thought of those words!
We don’t know what meaning God attached to adultery but we think that helping other men and women to appreciate their wives and husbands respectively to perform their “civic” duties is nothing less than admirable. We give other people’s wives self confidence and build their self-esteem by showing them that they are still desirable while they show our wives how better to take care us.
And when He said we should not steal, He absolutely underestimated the gift of free will which He bestowed on humans. Why would we steal chicken and goats and be labelled thieves when we can conveniently effect some personal aggrandizement in the legal structures of Executive, Legislature, Judiciary arms of government and then the Police! I’m really having a laugh at how daft God thinks we are.
We all condemn it when people bear false witnesses against their neighbours but that is especially when they do it for nothing. We don’t hate Judas because he bore false witness against Christ but because the foolish mugu did it for a few coins instead of asking for two or three Ghana-must-go bags of money.
If we have to take from those that have little and add to the many we have, does that make us covetous? No! We would only be teaching them to be ambitious and aim higher by doing to those beneath them as those above them did to them.
We are really better than God and I am sure that’s why the peace and love that only God gives; which we really need, elude us and will continue to elude us, but I don’t think we really care because we are better than God
Some of us can be very annoying sometimes and God can testify to that fact. He couldn’t take it at a time and had to use flood to wipe out almost everybody. But then, he didn’t have the stomach for it and never tried it again. I just wonder the kind of admiration He will have for us knowing that we used atomic bomb to wipe out people but have since moved to nuclear bombs and still have the stomach to kill others with machetes and even bury them in mass graves.
Are we not better than God?
Agreed that He gave the Israelites freedom by bringing them out of Egypt but he left the common Egyptians to suffer in the hands of their leaders but without the fear of sounding too proud, we have given the common Egyptians the freedom God should have given them! Phewwww! One for us, people!
When God said we shouldn’t have any other god besides him, what was he thinking when money was already in circulation? I guess we’re just too smart. We do everything for money but we don’t call it worship although it’s a god; while God is there waiting for us to bow down before one effigy or the other
What level have we not taken jealousy? We bathe people with acid and leave them a gory sight! We sever private parts in fits of jealousy. We ultimately kill without second thoughts when pushed by jealousy yet God said he’s jealous yet He forgives all things! Shouldn’t he learn the meaning of jealousy from us and accept the fact that we are his betters?
Don’t you question what’s in a name that God should tell us not to take his in vain? Isn’t it just a name? For goodness sakes, we wear smiles on our faces and tell others what bad bitches and motherfucking dudes we are? Haven’t you seen how cool our friends react when we call them hoes and bitches? Guess God is not fly enough to answer SexyGod or HotGod etc
And what’s with this working for six days and resting on the seventh day? God should have tried planking for some recreation! By the way, we don’t work on the seventh day, we only prepare for what awaits on the next first day
We are simply smarter and better than God and as you are reading this, I’m sure you’re coming out with more facts about how we’re better than God that will help strengthen these non exhaustive thoughts of a smart specie
If a father should call his son, “son of a bitch” right in front of his mother and they are cool with it, I wonder how such a son would honour his parents. We’re smart enough to know that respect is reciprocal. When a husband thinks that beating his wife is the hallmark of manhood and wife thinks that teaching her daughters that running around with men pays better, it becomes easier for us to deduce that when a Police officer marries a Prison Warder, they’re likely to give birth to Prisoners! Are we not really smart?
And who says we commit murder? We don’t kill because we want to? It’s just about serving out justice. We judge people, find them guilty and we kill them even if we don’t know what they committed. There is always collateral damage! I guess God never thought of those words!
We don’t know what meaning God attached to adultery but we think that helping other men and women to appreciate their wives and husbands respectively to perform their “civic” duties is nothing less than admirable. We give other people’s wives self confidence and build their self-esteem by showing them that they are still desirable while they show our wives how better to take care us.
And when He said we should not steal, He absolutely underestimated the gift of free will which He bestowed on humans. Why would we steal chicken and goats and be labelled thieves when we can conveniently effect some personal aggrandizement in the legal structures of Executive, Legislature, Judiciary arms of government and then the Police! I’m really having a laugh at how daft God thinks we are.
We all condemn it when people bear false witnesses against their neighbours but that is especially when they do it for nothing. We don’t hate Judas because he bore false witness against Christ but because the foolish mugu did it for a few coins instead of asking for two or three Ghana-must-go bags of money.
If we have to take from those that have little and add to the many we have, does that make us covetous? No! We would only be teaching them to be ambitious and aim higher by doing to those beneath them as those above them did to them.
We are really better than God and I am sure that’s why the peace and love that only God gives; which we really need, elude us and will continue to elude us, but I don’t think we really care because we are better than God
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Painter
I am a painter and my works are done in reliefs of words
I paint freely and i do not flatter at all
I paint the souls of men and the beauty of his world
I paint the unsoundness of his mind
I make everything evident; the roughness, contours; everything as i see it
I do not care whether i get paid or not
I am a painter and i paint with words
I am the painter
I paint freely and i do not flatter at all
I paint the souls of men and the beauty of his world
I paint the unsoundness of his mind
I make everything evident; the roughness, contours; everything as i see it
I do not care whether i get paid or not
I am a painter and i paint with words
I am the painter
Friday, June 3, 2011
Spoon
Does it mean I can’t eat without one?
I was loved and carried as a child
Though I was fed with a bottle
They said I have a bright future
Nobody ever looked for my spoon
My parents sent me to school
And I came out in flying colours
My school sandals were not the best
Some others went to school on bare foot
But hard work wore them designer shoes
Why are some lives all about a spoon?
When none of us was born with one
Make of a spoon is not the quality of the food
My mother’s food tastes pretty with my fingers
Nwoye never had a spoon but later bought a dozen
Cherries of toil and sweat of a man undefeated
Silver, Wooden or Gold spoon never mattered
But being the best in all he did
I was loved and carried as a child
Though I was fed with a bottle
They said I have a bright future
Nobody ever looked for my spoon
My parents sent me to school
And I came out in flying colours
My school sandals were not the best
Some others went to school on bare foot
But hard work wore them designer shoes
Why are some lives all about a spoon?
When none of us was born with one
Make of a spoon is not the quality of the food
My mother’s food tastes pretty with my fingers
Nwoye never had a spoon but later bought a dozen
Cherries of toil and sweat of a man undefeated
Silver, Wooden or Gold spoon never mattered
But being the best in all he did
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
On The Job
I made a journey through yet another experience which my job as an actor gave me the wonderful opportunity of being a part of. As we shot the story of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowder and his great Niger mission, sharing in his pains and triumphs - the terrifying sun and sun flies made sure of the former; we all looked forward to the day it will be wraps just like crowder looked forward to the end of his mission.
I won't deny the fact that we had a little bit of fun plucking the mangoes that dotted the farmlands of our host village. Breaking coconuts and soaking garri when food was not in sight made it so nostalgic of growing up in the village.
Had fun shooting by the bank of River Niger and watching some of my colleagues shrink in size at the thought of sitting in Canoes across the River. Who wants to die?
Obi Okoli said it was a wrap, Prof. Laz Ekwueme, Sydney Diala, Prof. Emeka Nwabueze, Chiwetalu Agu, Emeka Onu, Okey Oku and a host of others faced homewards!
And like it all started, it finally came to an end and.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
HUMILITY: A SURE WAY TO TRUE SUCCESS
It used to be true for almost everybody in the past that humility is a sure way to success but today, a whole lot of us believe that humility will actually get us nowhere. It is erroneously thought that it is only in the movies that being a nice guy is synonymous to achieving success and getting rewards. Humility is now assumed to be only useful in keeping one at the bottom of the success ladder which explains why almost everyone embraces cutting corners and taking advantage of every opportunity even to the detriment of friends and colleagues. This is considered being brilliant and sharp. The humble people are seen as the ones that get the extra loads of work dumped on them because they are intelligent and hard working. The humble ones are seen as the ones taken advantage of at every opportunity and who work the long late hours while the self proclaimed sharp guys have swell times, smile to the bank and are considered successful. I wonder how many of us have at one time or the other been influenced by such gross thoughts or have the slightest disposition to above inclinations.
I want to state unequivocally that considering ourselves successful has everything to do with humility. We need to first of all understand that humility is far from being stupid, and then come to the recognition that humility has to do with realizing our greatest potentials. This can be seen in the lives of some Nollywood superstars that live in the light of the truth that they are celebrities because people celebrate them; not because it is their rights. When we manifest humility in the light of the above, and also knowing that it is morally imperative not to claim it as ours but as a gift from God, we would readily share and reap the enormous benefits of being humble.
It is only the humble man that can be courageous enough to confront his inner self and ask pertinent questions as to the means through which he wants to achieve success or how he measures it. This is so because, humility is not just a means through which true success is achieved, it stays as an integral part of the success experience.
There is no gainsaying the fact that we often measure our successes based on the amount of wealth we are able to acquire, our status in the society and finally the level of our sensual pleasure. Putting these three criteria into consideration, I would now ask each and every one of us, “How do you measure your success and how do you know that you have achieved true success?”
Can we readily and without reservations stand tall and declare that the possession of enormous wealth brings true success? Have we not at one point or the other, in resignation to vicissitudes of life say that "everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind”? How often have we come to the sad realization that having achieved a goal we have worked so hard for years to accomplish did not bring us the happiness we anticipated? It would rather set us on a new quest with the promise of a new kind of happiness that comes from true success.
Our haughtiness in the face of societal stratification has become the only beacon of light to a whole lot of us while a lot of others are ready to sacrifice all they have on the alter of vanity just to be considered high up in the society. For them, it is a measure of success. But i tell you, without humility, all our high social status comes to naught in the face of living progressively in peace and harmony with one another. It is only living in the attitude of humility that we can be teachable, moldable, and willing to change for the greater good of our individual selves in particular and our nation in general.
For some, true success comes from seeking and believing that they are getting all the pleasures that life has got to offer as the ultimate goal. But if you should ask our dear King Solomon, who "had it all," he would tell you "I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure’; but surely, this also was vanity" (Ecclesiastes 2:1). Today, if you do not engage in seeking for the pleasures of sexual licentiousness, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and every imaginable form of stimulation, you are considered a “Jew” man by your peers. We boast on the number of girls we have been able to take to bed but I tell you, if sexual pleasure brings true success, prostitutes and gigolos would be the happiest people on earth. Yet, their lives like that of all those who indulge excessively in the pleasures of life with a view to achieving true success, end up a shambles.
It is only true success that can give true happiness and peace and if you find out that despite your efforts to control every aspect of your life, you are not finding that happiness and peace you seek, the answer can be found in learning humility which alone can take you to heights of success you never imagined. This is so because humility brings the right balance and focus into our lives; it destroys our walls of arrogance and brings us closer to God and our fellow human beings, ultimately turning our thoughts around from thinking that we can handle things without God, or feeling unworthy to walk with Him.
For most people, living in a culture that worships at the altar of money has made it difficult to view success with God at the center rather their financial gains define their level of success. We have now embraced the mortal wisdom is that being in total control of every aspect of our lives spells success to find success. And like I said earlier, this type of success will persistently refuse to give the satisfaction that comes from true success which can only be achieved through humility. Bitterness and dissatisfaction, greed and sadness, war and betrayal are only but a few of what we will continually reap if we as long as we define success from our faulty, self-centered, worldly views.
It can seem counter intuitive in modern Western culture to believe that by yielding to God, we can actually achieve greater success. The more control we give Him, the more He rewards us. If we listen to Him, He will show us that the only way to achieve this type of success is through humility. Humility is somewhat difficult to learn and to define, but when we see it in someone else’s life, we know it instantly. They live for the Lord and not for themselves.
Finally, it may sound out of place for so many that the only way we can find true success is through humility and also learning, no matter how difficult it seems that humility yields us to God who in turn rewards us for the control we give him over our lives. And on the strength of that, we will discover that the greater our humility, the greater our achievements in our areas of endeavour.
I want to state unequivocally that considering ourselves successful has everything to do with humility. We need to first of all understand that humility is far from being stupid, and then come to the recognition that humility has to do with realizing our greatest potentials. This can be seen in the lives of some Nollywood superstars that live in the light of the truth that they are celebrities because people celebrate them; not because it is their rights. When we manifest humility in the light of the above, and also knowing that it is morally imperative not to claim it as ours but as a gift from God, we would readily share and reap the enormous benefits of being humble.
It is only the humble man that can be courageous enough to confront his inner self and ask pertinent questions as to the means through which he wants to achieve success or how he measures it. This is so because, humility is not just a means through which true success is achieved, it stays as an integral part of the success experience.
There is no gainsaying the fact that we often measure our successes based on the amount of wealth we are able to acquire, our status in the society and finally the level of our sensual pleasure. Putting these three criteria into consideration, I would now ask each and every one of us, “How do you measure your success and how do you know that you have achieved true success?”
Can we readily and without reservations stand tall and declare that the possession of enormous wealth brings true success? Have we not at one point or the other, in resignation to vicissitudes of life say that "everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind”? How often have we come to the sad realization that having achieved a goal we have worked so hard for years to accomplish did not bring us the happiness we anticipated? It would rather set us on a new quest with the promise of a new kind of happiness that comes from true success.
Our haughtiness in the face of societal stratification has become the only beacon of light to a whole lot of us while a lot of others are ready to sacrifice all they have on the alter of vanity just to be considered high up in the society. For them, it is a measure of success. But i tell you, without humility, all our high social status comes to naught in the face of living progressively in peace and harmony with one another. It is only living in the attitude of humility that we can be teachable, moldable, and willing to change for the greater good of our individual selves in particular and our nation in general.
For some, true success comes from seeking and believing that they are getting all the pleasures that life has got to offer as the ultimate goal. But if you should ask our dear King Solomon, who "had it all," he would tell you "I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure’; but surely, this also was vanity" (Ecclesiastes 2:1). Today, if you do not engage in seeking for the pleasures of sexual licentiousness, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and every imaginable form of stimulation, you are considered a “Jew” man by your peers. We boast on the number of girls we have been able to take to bed but I tell you, if sexual pleasure brings true success, prostitutes and gigolos would be the happiest people on earth. Yet, their lives like that of all those who indulge excessively in the pleasures of life with a view to achieving true success, end up a shambles.
It is only true success that can give true happiness and peace and if you find out that despite your efforts to control every aspect of your life, you are not finding that happiness and peace you seek, the answer can be found in learning humility which alone can take you to heights of success you never imagined. This is so because humility brings the right balance and focus into our lives; it destroys our walls of arrogance and brings us closer to God and our fellow human beings, ultimately turning our thoughts around from thinking that we can handle things without God, or feeling unworthy to walk with Him.
For most people, living in a culture that worships at the altar of money has made it difficult to view success with God at the center rather their financial gains define their level of success. We have now embraced the mortal wisdom is that being in total control of every aspect of our lives spells success to find success. And like I said earlier, this type of success will persistently refuse to give the satisfaction that comes from true success which can only be achieved through humility. Bitterness and dissatisfaction, greed and sadness, war and betrayal are only but a few of what we will continually reap if we as long as we define success from our faulty, self-centered, worldly views.
It can seem counter intuitive in modern Western culture to believe that by yielding to God, we can actually achieve greater success. The more control we give Him, the more He rewards us. If we listen to Him, He will show us that the only way to achieve this type of success is through humility. Humility is somewhat difficult to learn and to define, but when we see it in someone else’s life, we know it instantly. They live for the Lord and not for themselves.
Finally, it may sound out of place for so many that the only way we can find true success is through humility and also learning, no matter how difficult it seems that humility yields us to God who in turn rewards us for the control we give him over our lives. And on the strength of that, we will discover that the greater our humility, the greater our achievements in our areas of endeavour.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
My Flower
Your name is flowery in Onyedikachi
Who is truly like the God that made you?
I see you with the eyes of a butterfly
So beautiful like flowers in blossom
You inspire me like the Angelica
Your unfading love smells Anemone
Daisy reminds me of your innocence
Bond of affection we share, a Carnation
In the Ambrosia of my love returned
The Aloe of your grief disappears
And the Bluebell rings of your humility
Your cheerfulness chants Buttercup
I see you with the eyes of a butterfly
Delicately beautiful like the Hibiscus
Prettier than the best of scented Roses
Yet you endure better than the Cactus
Exhibiting faith, hope, wisdom and valour
That is the Iris I see in you
The Fennel says you;re worthy of my praises
And I fly away from the Acacia
For what I feel for you is no secret love
You intoxicate me in your sweet aura
I see you with the eyes of a butterfly
But then, no flower can truly be you
You are a flower too unique
You are my flower
You are my love
You are my wife
Who is truly like the God that made you?
I see you with the eyes of a butterfly
So beautiful like flowers in blossom
You inspire me like the Angelica
Your unfading love smells Anemone
Daisy reminds me of your innocence
Bond of affection we share, a Carnation
In the Ambrosia of my love returned
The Aloe of your grief disappears
And the Bluebell rings of your humility
Your cheerfulness chants Buttercup
I see you with the eyes of a butterfly
Delicately beautiful like the Hibiscus
Prettier than the best of scented Roses
Yet you endure better than the Cactus
Exhibiting faith, hope, wisdom and valour
That is the Iris I see in you
The Fennel says you;re worthy of my praises
And I fly away from the Acacia
For what I feel for you is no secret love
You intoxicate me in your sweet aura
I see you with the eyes of a butterfly
But then, no flower can truly be you
You are a flower too unique
You are my flower
You are my love
You are my wife
Friday, February 4, 2011
How We Voted
We had no choice but to believe their promises
To build bridges even where rivers don't exist
Largely because our votes never really counted
They wailed their opponents won by cheating
We watched them threaten to go to court
But we thugged and carried ballot boxes for them
We needed the money because we were hungry
They wanted the ballot boxes to plunder
And when nothing comes our way we wonder
They told us to trust and follow them; we did
From one political party and camp to another
Necking with those we had fought because of them
Quick to tell us billions have been ear-marked
We're not meant to know how it's pocket-marked
But we've learnt to believe when we eye-mark
Register now to vote
To build bridges even where rivers don't exist
Largely because our votes never really counted
They wailed their opponents won by cheating
We watched them threaten to go to court
But we thugged and carried ballot boxes for them
We needed the money because we were hungry
They wanted the ballot boxes to plunder
And when nothing comes our way we wonder
They told us to trust and follow them; we did
From one political party and camp to another
Necking with those we had fought because of them
Quick to tell us billions have been ear-marked
We're not meant to know how it's pocket-marked
But we've learnt to believe when we eye-mark
Register now to vote
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