The Small Print By Abimbola Dare (A must read!)

Hi people,

I recently started following Bimbylads (Abimbola Dare) on twitter and got to know about her new book titled ‘The Small Print.’

I’m very excited about this! I have read an excerpt on Naijastories and I must say I really looked forward to reading the book. She's a great writer and now on my to-watch list. I'm just about to dig into the book but I’ll give you some info before I go.

Below is her profile and a description of the book.

Abimbola Dare started writing Christian fiction after a deep conviction to use her writing for God's glory. All her books are African themed, with rich, authentic African characters. She is happily married and lives the UK with her family.

Website: http://www.abimboladare.com

Twitter: bimbylads

Facebook: Facebook profile

Blog: http://www.abimboladare.com/bimbysblog

Book Blurb

Ambitious illegal Immigrant Wale Ademola has the perfect solution to avoid deportation: a contract marriage to attractive stranger, Jennifer Lennox. Nothing could possibly go wrong-that is until Jennifer makes a demand that threatens to jeopardize Wale’s greatest desire.

Sheltered Christian housewife Sade Williams thinks nothing of secretly working behind her husband’s back. When a devastating discovery at home causes Sade to question the integrity of her marriage and faith, she turns to her charming colleague, Wale for comfort. And then the unthinkable happens…

Embittered by a wrecked contract and a shattered heart, Jennifer Lennox sets on the warpath of vengeance… 
Twisted in a web of infidelity, deceit and lies, three individuals must battle insurmountable challenges- on a journey across two continents- to discover that it is in the midst of despair, confusion and desperation that God’s unconditional; all- consuming love shines the brightest.

Please purchase and spread the word!

@bimbylads, Congrats sis!

God bless

 Roy!

Independence, Klorofyl Magazine and then some...

Happy Independence People!

I must confess I'm not so excited today but I'm glad Nigeria is still here. What I want to know is where we go from here. I don't want to wait five, ten or twenty years to see the Naija I dream of. Can I please experience it now? Sigh..who should I be saying this to? Our leaders? Politicians? the president? the youths? I tire o.

Baba God, na your hand we dey.....

On to other things, I want to share with you a few of what I've been seeing and reading.

First on the list is 'Don't miss your moment' a book by Judy Jacobs (you remember the dancing lady minister at the Experience Lagos 2010?)

If you are like me, and you're curious about your purpose on earth, you should read this book. Really, you should. It brings to mind my favourite catch phrase for purpose, 'the mystery of predestination.'

Also, please check out Tolu Odukoya's 'Gifted and Proud.' It's Her new single featuring Onyeka Onwenu. Tolu is blessed with a great voice, and if you're wondering, yes, she is Late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya's daughter. I would have posted the video here from youtube but for some weird reason blogger's video thingy has gone awry, so please click HERE to watch it.

Courtesy totalwraponline

Last, but certainly not the least, you should check out Klorofyl Mag! These guys are something else. Kudos to Tolu Oloruntoba and his team. I thought their first issue was great but the second one themed 'Habitat' is even better. The articles are awesome, the photography is out of this world. It's free too, for now *wink* so please download away. Click HERE and make sure you spread the word. 

We have great minds in this generation.We indeed have a great future.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Roy

Atmosphere for miracles: An 'old' short story

He cast a wary glance at the doctor who walked in, complete in scrubs and gloves. The doctor did a double take as he looked into his eyes.

“Mr. K, you need to take your rest. Three straight days with little or no sleep,” he clicked his tongue and shook his head for emphasis, “it’s taking its toll on you.”

Tam didn’t want to argue, the last thing he wanted was to leave. He looked down at the tiny hands wrapped protectively in his large ones. They didn’t look familiar. He wished they belonged to someone else. Someone he didn’t know and didn’t have to bother about.

The medical contraption running around the room looked hideous. The blinking lights, the beeping noises, the cold feel of metal. This didn’t have to happen.

“We’re running a fresh set of tests this evening. She’s still not responding to the therapy. We need to be cautious about the drugs though, for a five year old, it could be dangerous,” he shook his head again. The gesture was beginning to annoy Tam.

He nodded and looked away, at his little angel lying helplessly, looking lifeless. The doctor walked out after doing his normal checks.

His heart was heavy. He got on his knees and closed his eyes. Clasping his hands he proceeded to pray. No words came. He tried to gather his thoughts, free his mind and let out his fears. This was too much for him. His lips, clamped together shook uncontrollably as he tried to suppress the tears. He bit his tongue hard till he tasted blood. Hot tears poured down his face.

He hadn’t cried in years. What he wanted to do was pray but couldn’t form the words; no words borne of human imagination could express what he felt. He fell onto his side on the cold, hard hospital floor. He curled up in a fetal position, groaning and moaning.

The words came like a soft sigh. Like a trickle of water, faint but unmistakable.

Tamilore, I Grieve Because You Grieve

It seemed like eternity had passed when he heard a sound from the bed. He sprang up and rushed to her side.

“Tomi,” his voice was ragged and hoarse, “Tomi, can you hear me? Daddy’s here, I’m here.” He stroked her lean cheeks.

She recoiled at his touch. He frowned, wondering what could be wrong. He touched her face again. She cried out in pain.

“Doctor!” he screamed, “Nurse!” he scrambled from the room, frantically, almost knocking down the poor nurse who had come running at his call.

The hospital equipment all started beeping and clicking in tandem. For the next fifteen minutes, chaos reigned as nurses and doctors crowded around the bed.
He waited outside pacing around like a caged lion. He sobbed quietly, his hands locked behind him. Pain raced through him, anger and fear and some other unidentified emotion. He was thoroughly confused.

What if…? He hadn’t finished the thought when Paul rushed in.

“How is she?” he asked, panting softly.

“Dunno,” He pointed to the door. “Doctors are in there...”

A sad expression passed across Paul’s face. He shook it off immediately, trying to be calm and helpful. He patted his friend’s back, his head bowed. He remained quiet for a few minutes, his lips moving, and his hands still on Tam’s back.

“It’ll be well, Tam. Let’s believe.”

He nodded.

Paul shifted on his feet. He looked uneasy. Tam stared at him wondering what was wrong.

He handed Tam a colourful flyer. “You forgot about this.”

Tam handed it back in a hurry. “I didn’t.”

“So? How do we handle it?”

“Look, I don’t know. Just handle it, anyhow. I don’t care.” his impatience with the issue was obvious. He walked to the window, pulling back the blinds, he looked outside.

“Tam. The program has been going on for six days, today is the last. Every one’s been praying, for you, for Tomi. I...I think we should do this.” Paul walked to him, his voice gentle, as always.

“Want to know what I think? I think I need my daughter to get well. I need to be here. I care about nothing else.” He looked straight at Paul and added with feeling, “I’m not going.”

Paul nodded slowly. He hardly raised his voice but he knew his friend was slipping.
He tried the sarcastic route.

“Ok Tam. So you’re going to stay here and heal Tomi. Go ahead, bro, wave your magic wand. Hope you brought it along?”

Tam flashed him an angry look, his eyes burning. A twitch in his jaw told Paul to tread softly.

“Leave it to Him Tam. Just a few hours, and it could make a difference.” he was pleading now.

Tam shook his head, “Why, why why?” sorrow washed over him, fear gripped his heart at the thought of the unimaginable. He stamped his feet and slammed his fist into the wall, sobbing loudly, his teeth tightly clenched. He cried out in pain as blood stains and little strings of flesh clung to the old rusted nail in the wall.

Tam sat still, his eyes closed, his mind racing, his right hand wrapped in a bandage. The car rolled into Industrial Avenue at about 6pm. They could hear singing from a distance. Paul jumped down and raced into the grounds while the driver honked at the gate. The security guy scrambled to open it.

He searched for Ola who was busy with last minute plans. He found him in the Correspondence office packaging ‘promise scriptures’ for after the service.

“Guy what’s up?” Paul called out from the door.

“Hey! Good. So what happened? Is he here? How’s Tomi?”

“Yep. He’s here.” He shook his head a little. “Well, Tomi is not doing too well.....”

“Jesus, ” Ola remained quiet for a while at the sad news but rallied quickly, “So, you think he’ll be able to do it?”

“Yes. He’s strung tight enough to snap, but,” he held a finger up for emphasis, “I know he’ll do.”

He looked quite skeptical, “But worship?”

“Trust me, he’s broken. It couldn’t be better.”

They made their way backstage where they found Tam leaning on the wall, a lost look in his eyes. He held his bandaged hand gingerly, still feeling the pain. They spoke to him a little not wanting to upset him further. The praise session in the hall rounded up and the MC introduced him. He pushed off from the wall as the people’s applause thundered in his ears, most of them aware of his present challenges. Paul had said they’d been praying. It lifted his spirits some.
It all passed in a haze as the lights on stage stung his eyes and the Mic was passed to him.

What to do now? What to sing?

His well practiced theory of feeling in the mood went right out the windows. This was the last place he would have asked to be.

With his weight on his right leg, his eyes closed and left hand raised, he let himself be.

The song came freely without effort. He meant every word


I have a maker, he formed my heart, oh oh oh before even time began;
my life was in his hands. He knows my name; he knows my every fault, he sees each tear that falls, and he hears me when I call…
 

Tam wasn’t the only the one weeping now. The ministers in the front row were all prostrate, male and female. Hands were raised all over the hall; the back up singers had ceased speaking the language of men.

He struggled to keep his voice clear as tears welled up inside him. He felt gratitude, deep gratitude to God. It was an unexpected emotion for such a circumstance but his heart was bursting.

Then came the words again like a soft sigh. Like a trickle of water, faint but unmistakable.

Tamilore, what would you have me do for you?

He broke down and wept profusely, the rhythm of his tears reverberated through the hall.

He wanted nothing else, Tomi had to live and be in sound health.

He looked up, his eyes open. He stared at the big clock at the far end of the hall, his eyes unseeing.

8.55 pm

He got on his knees and poured out his heart. He wept like a child, his face contorted with the intensity of emotions whirling inside him.

He became aware of the music that was playing. He picked the sound of the bass guitar, the keyboard, and the drums. They seemed to inspire his next move.

He motioned for the drums to cease. Then he lay prostrate on the fully rugged stage, propped on his elbows. His voice rang out like a gong, clear and distinctive. This song touched him in deep and sensitive places.

Ọba adani ma gba gbe, A sọrọ ma ta se o, Eledumare, Ọba a tori ẹni se.
Ogbe inu wundia sola, ogbe ori ite sogo o, Eledumare Ọba a tori ẹni se

The air stilled as the hall went quiet. Both expected and unexpected miracles preceded the requested.

He prayed for every soul present, his heart truly went out to them. He let go of his own fears and truly became a Levite.

He led three more songs before he felt his work was done.

Walking off, he felt alive again. His friends were waiting for him back stage. They stared at him like zombies, questions in their eyes. He was not smiling, but he wasn’t frowning either. He was calm and quiet, no words necessary.

Ola wanted to ask “Guy, where have you been?” But he knew exactly where he’d been. Now it was time to go.

They bounded down the stairs of the building and walked to the car. The drive to St. Nicholas was uneventful as everyone kept their thoughts to themselves. Tam stared out the window, his face pressed to the glass, Ola sat in the front while Paul drove.

The night was cold and it had begun to drizzle when they arrived. They cleared at the reception and made for room 69. The door was slightly open, the lyrics of Beauty and the beast sailing through.

“That song.” he thought, sighing deeply. Tomi loved that song so much; she made him play it almost every day.

He pushed open the door to see the occupant of the bed propped up with a couple of pillows, being fed from a little pink bowl by an elderly nurse.

“Daddy.” Tomi called weakly, her smile revealing the wide artificial gap in her teeth.

Paul chuckled behind him, hardly surprised.

Tam shook his head, blinking his eyes, unable to take in the full implication of what he was seeing.

The nurse got up from the bed while Tam approached it.

“What happened here?” he asked.

“You mean, what are we doing? We’re eating of course.” she said smiling and adjusting her glasses.

Tam opened his mouth and shut it just as fast. He eyed the big black bible resting solidly on the bedside table.

“That’s not mine.” He pointed to it.

“Definitely, if it was you’d be 55 years old.” said the delectable nurse.

Paul cracked up again, Ola joined in, though still dazed.

“Well, I thought Tomi might want to listen to some stories, so I read to her.”

‘Yes daddy, Daniel in the lion’s den.” Tomi quipped, her voice sounding high pitched and nasal. Thanks to the tubes running through her nostrils.

“We had a good time.” the nurse continued animatedly, “She was quiet when we started though but after a while, she squeezed my hand. That was when she opened her eyes. Then she said she was hungry. Golden morn.” She said with an exaggerated whisper.

Tam nodded, “Her favourite.”

Tam looked at her with pride in his eyes. He stroked her cheeks, no pain. His chest constricted with the magnitude of the gratitude that filled his heart.

The nurse’s voice sailed through his thoughts.

“We still have her under observation though, and the test will still run. The doctor on night duty will be in soon, no undue excitement please.” She said with her best no-nonsense nurse tone.

Tam nodded.

“It only takes a step.” Ola sighed, his voice hardly a whisper.

They all looked towards the door where He stood leaning on the wall, a faraway look in his eyes.

“Oh boy! Where You dey?” Paul called, waving his hand across his eyes

“Nah, he’s getting inspiration. Big decision this weekend, no?” Tam joked.

Ola laughed and hugged Tam.

“I think you young men need to take it outside. That’s why we made the reception comfortable.” The nurse said looking at them through her glasses.

“Yes ma’am.” they chorused, moving towards the door.

Tam stopped at the door and looked at her as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

“I need to know something, at what time did she open her eyes? I mean when exactly did she wake up?”

“8:56” she said, shooing them out the door.

'And the prayer of Faith shall save the sick, and the lord hall raise him up' James 5:15


I believe in Miracles!



Roy

WE WILL BREATHE AGAIN... #UNblast

We fight, maim and kill
We're angry and dismayed

Confused and afraid
We run and hide
And hope we never get to face our demons

But...

Out of the ashes of hate
Out of the flames of destruction
Far away from the fumes ofintolerance

We can rise again
We can shine again.

I believe Nigeria can breathe again.


**********


My heart goes out to all who have been affected in the August 26th bomb blasts in Abuja.

Let hope rise in your hearts.
Justice shall be served and Nigeria will live again.


God bless my Country!

Roy.

To the Children, then and now...

Its Children’s day and WE, the children are excited!  Yay! :)

 

This BB message below has been circulating since the crack of dawn today.

To all of us who ate Nasco wafers, Okin biscuit, Go-Go and M&K. Who drank Tandi and green sands. Who knew when eleganza biro was sold for less than #1.00 and Pepsi for #1.50. Who did the flex and butterfly dance, watched Cadbury breakfast show and sat anxiously by our TV sets at 4pm for Voltron, defender of the universe.  I say, Happy Children’s Day!!!  And to those who didn’t enjoy these simple pleasures, please meet me at 6:30pm for tales by moonlight! :) Lol

If you remember these things, then you must have grown up in Nigeria at around the same time I did! LOL. Is it fun to be grown? Or would you rather turn back the hands of the clock?

Well, as much as those times were fun and filled with reckless abandon, life has happened and we’re running with it. In fact we’ve run so fast that some of us now have children of our own! 

So, to everyone in my generation (you’re probably wondering how old I am, well, do the math :)) who now has one or two little ones, congratulations and happy Children’s day! Don’t forget to do all you can to partner with God to give your children the best that they truly deserve.

Speaking of which, I am now a proud aunt of a beautiful niece! Yippee!

My sister dropped a sweet little angel last week and it’s her first Children’s day!

Special congratulations to Little 'Sope. 

I promise I’ll be a great aunt! :)

Cheers people and Happy Children’s day to all the children of the world!

Roy!

Klorofyl and my 'To Watch' list

Hi People. 

Trust y'all doing great and the year is shaping up nicely.

I think I'm blocked right now cos I sit up at night and stare at the laptop or chew my pen and can't write a thing.

I have these images in my head but I haven't been able to put them into words.

So I guess I've taken a break.

Anyway, I wanted to share some things with you.

I love the videos below. There're just some fave things I like to watch.

Thought I'd share.

And yes, there's this magazine I came across, by a group of young people.

 It's called Klorofyl and it's really great.

"Klorofyl is a literary and graphic art and lifestyle magazine with African, Urban and Christian Influences. It is compiled by a diverse group from 5 African Countries working closely via the internet, specially crafted for the discerning, and offered online."

There's a link down here some where.

You can download it for free.

You'll definitely be impressed.

Plus they're calling for submissions for their next issue.

So if you're interested, check them out.

(Oops I hear submissions close on the 10th of May which is tomorrow.

Try though.)

  Enjoy!

TY Bello, The Future

                                                             Femi Jacobs, RESPECT

Mayowa Adenrele, Polongo

 Why Did I get married? (Stage, One of many parts on Youtube)

(Just found it, I'd only seen the movie. It's Hilarious too)

No comments :)

Click here to download the Go Issue of Klorofyl

Thanks

Roy.

Please, BE GREAT! (Guest Post by Femi Jacobs)

Hi People.

Have you ever given up on a burning desire you had, because well, you had to pay the bills and a ‘normal’ job just seemed the most rational way to go?

Well, been thinking about this for a while and every time I have something pressing on my mind, I just find some insight.

This time it came in the form of an article I found by Femi Jacobs of InspireU. It really hit the spot, and of course got me thinking. I’d like to share. Here goes.

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

As I sat in my ride from the airport on a recent trip, I remembered the previous trip and the cab driver that picked me up. He was evenly toned and bulky. It was not his build that impressed me, but his mind. We spoke on the long drive and he fascinated me as he spoke about the dreams that brought him to the UK many years before.

My heart bled as I listened to the things he did not say.

All over the world you meet men and women who have sacrificed their quest for greatness at the altar of necessity. After you have tried for a while and you meet bumps in the road, you sort of think 'what the heck'. But remember, you were born for the rising of many, and your giving up would be to them a callous tragedy.

So if only just for the souls you were born to lift up, please, please BE GREAT.

Femi Jacobs

I have said it several times, if you do not find a reason other than you, success may seem like drudgery and it would be a burden you would easily offload.

Men were created in God's image and likeness and no matter how far we have walked away from EDEN, we do not lose that element of chivalry, a chip off of God's very soul. We have the bell of eternity ringing in our souls' ears and it could be deafening. Yes, we have tried to kill it, to snuff out this light of greatness burning like an undying ember at the base of our souls. We point fingers at the government, and blame the ills we see on others.

We feel it when we drive on the roads and see homeless people and hear the sound of other people's pains and misery. All of us do. We feel that kinship and connection to others and their lives concern us just a bit. You see people shift uneasily at such sights and sometimes it could so compelling that we try to change the topic because it is unbearable.

Why don't we let go, let the tears fall for the pains in the world?

Innocent children born into pain and suffering, cancer patients and other victims of incurable, painful diseases. We ask what we are supposed to do about it. Yet yielding and allowing ourselves to care is what introduces us to powers and creativities beyond the ordinary senses.

Yes, we feel the pain of others BECAUSE WE ARE gods! Yes we were born to be gods. Not to play it, but to be it. We are all son s of the great GOD and no matter what we feel about Him, we cannot shake off His genes embedded in our souls. He burned His image into our bellies and it forces us to feel like Him and think like Him many times than we care to admit.

Unleashing this force of greatness is the key to the happiness that we so crave sometimes. We can numb it, we can dull it, but we cannot kill it.

So what is it you care so deeply about? You care because you CAN fix it!

I hear you say, What! Ridiculous, isn't it? Yes, but miraculous too. If you wait on the feeling and let it take you over, God will visit you in the night and birth the answer in your soul. I dare you to try this. He is attracted to souls that care about His world.

How did we get here? We got here by selfishness. It consumes this world and burns us all. We cannot escape the pains and misery it has unleashed on the world.

What we want to accomplish is not as great as why we want to accomplish them. If the reason does not exceed the confines of our own personal comfort, it is likely we will yield to the temptation to give up and call it quits after a few attempts. If it means a lot to others, and lifts up the world, it will become a dream God sponsors and it will bring untold happiness and peace to our souls.

My challenge is simple, please be great. Do not give up on the things you care about. Do not abandon ship, think of those people who wait in the wings, whose pains you could help soothe, and whose tears you could wipe away.

If Mandela was just thinking about his own comfort, he would have negotiated and got a position in the apartheid government, lived in comfort and relative peace and taken care of his family and close friends. But he would have left a whole nation in darkness, and many more would have died. Reading his memoirs, his chivalry sustained him in the bleak hours of sacrifice, when it became too hard to go on. Now, in a continent filled with misery, his nation stands tall as a beacon of hope and his legacy shines brilliantly in the minds of billions.

Please, BE GREAT!   We are Free to FLY!

P.S. Check out Femi's newest video here http://vimeo.com/21875437

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

There. You heard it.

So do you really want to be great? As in really great? 


I guess that's back to those Grand Dreams, right?

Roy.

One Lovely Blog Award!!!

 

Hi people! So I got the One Lovely Blog award! *wink!

Thanks to Vyvyka  for bringing it down here.

This is how it works:
Link back to the blogger that tagged you, say Seven things about yourself, and then tag fifteen other bloggers you have have recently discovered.

So here goes,

1. I love the good life. Totally, I dream of posh houses, nice cars, exotic vacations, the whole nine yards!
2. Apart from plantain, something else I love eating is liver! Yes liver. Boiled, grilled, fried, whatever, I just love liver. Did you know it’s a ready source of energy related nutrients? Try a meal of liver, liver and liver today *wink
3. I used to think I was a diehard romantic, now I’m not so sure. But one thing I like to witness is two people genuinely start on a journey of love. Seriously, you don’t want to know how many matchmaking sessions I have tried to initiate. *wink
4. I don’t like discussing petty issues. Sue me; I like to get straight to the point, most times.
5. In my dreams, I’m married to a very rich man who provides all my needs so I don’t need to work and can devote all my time to writing, writing and writing. Sigh...
6. I can watch a film or read a book a gazillion times, especially if I really dig it. e.g. Tyler Perry’s Why did I get married, one and ‘Too’ and my favourite Heartsong Presents....
7. I want my life to count. I don’t want to just live, write a few books and die. I want to leave a legacy. I want to help people as much as I can, encourage and nurture other destinies alongside my own. I want to keep sailing my vessel till the river runs dry [some people don't get it when I say this :( ]    So help me God!

I hereby tag these blogs I have recently stumbled on. You guys totally rock!

          cyruswoman

          Vyvyka

          the corner shop 

          NittyGritty

          Gospelgirl

          drjemmy   

          heartflows

          Ope

          loudthots

          amazingtots

          sunosphere

          struggling christian   

          iwalewa

          loveup 

          faithimagined

Roy.