Kwiksie Vs. The Cockroaches: It had to come to this. (part 2)

Many might think that this here story (the part one of this post) is a product of some over stretched figment of my imagination, personalized solely to contribute to your comic relief.

Well, it’s not.

The ‘fraidy cat’ Kwiksie described in that story illustration is an accurate description of the person I was around cockroaches a few years ago. I was officially PETRIFIED of those disgusting creatures (my apologies to any roach lover reading). In fact, the illustration is an upgrade. Once, when I was about seven or eight years old, I was alone at home with my sister (she was asleep in the bedroom and I was in the living room) when all of a sudden the electricity went out. It was about 6:30pm and I had only recently learned on National Geographic that the creatures preferred being in dark environments. Well, good ol’ Kwiksie ran out of her house, all the way to the neighbors’ and sat on their back step till about 7:45 when Daddy (finally) came home. I had never been so glad to see anyone, and you know why? Because at that time, Daddy represented the one who would slay any evil roach that tried to attack me. Silly huh? Well it was pretty serious to me.

But I’m not that girl anymore.

These days, I kill them with a vengeance. My reaction now is more like; “You know I hate you guys so how dare you come into my presence?” So I just attack and right then all I’m thinking is – DIE! I even developed a sort of sixth sense for the things to the point that I would immediately know when a roach was in the same room I was in. Then, I used that habit to flee in fear. Now, it helps me kill ‘em.

For those who can’t even stand the talk of these creatures, I’m sorry I put you through all that and thank you for staying with me so far. I’m heading somewhere.

Now while I was slaying these things yester night just as I’d begun preparing supper, the Holy Spirit hinted something to me. You know what many believers react to the way I used to react to roaches?

Sin.

Understand me. Someone may be going; “Well du-uh! Aren’t we supposed to flee from sin?” Well, 1 Thesselonians 5:22 advises that we “abstain from all appearance of evil”, the meanings are different. Plus I never saw anything that said we should be afraid of sin. In fact, once fear gets into the equation, the action already has a large X drawn across it. The God you and I serve, as believers in Jesus Christ, has structured us to function in faith and not fear (Hebrews 11:6). Fear is the devil’s thing, not God’s. You think He was pleased when His daughter (me) kept repeatedly running like a headless chicken over insects the size of her thumb? I don’t think so. The sight probably saddened Him greatly.

Why?

Because in Jesus Christ we’ve got the victory! He has given us authority and dominion over sickness, disease, death, poverty, the law, SIN…and yes, even roaches. These things don’t call the shots any more in our lives - UnleSs We leT thEm (Hosea 4:6). There are too many of us who live in fear of sin. We’re always thinking about it, always scared we might fall into it and offend God, always on the lookout for it, always worrying that we might never be free from it ---

Stop.

Ephesians 2:8 says; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Just as we are too unqualified to bring ourselves salvation from all our sins and require the grace of God to make provision for us through the gift of His son Jesus, so also do we need His faith. We never had the faith we needed to receive this grace (which made provision for redemption) so God gave it to us, that we may believe and be saved.

In other words, we have our heavenly father’s faith residing in us. Faith that is more than enough to overcome every doubt, fear, worry, etc. that dares come our way. So let’s end the ‘wacky races’ and nip the issue in the bud. Jesus has given us the victory over those bad habits, wrong thoughts, unhealthy attitudes, and whatever sin may try to appear in our lives. We really should be attacking them and dealing with them at the get-go and not tuck-tail fleeing (James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.)

See? The running away thing is the devil's job, not ours.

It’s in our weakness that His strength is made perfect so understand that this isn’t about trying to ‘muscle’ your way around the sin but rather, relying on the strength of your savior to do away with all that needs to be trashed.

Get angry with sin. Get intolerant of sin. Get mega grounded in His word till you can spot sin a mile away…

...then attack and yell; “DIE!”

:D God bless!

xxx, Kwiksie~

Kwiksie Vs The Cockroaches: It had to come to this.

Date: Sometime in 2010

Time: 8:30pm

City: Port Harcourt

Location: Kwiksie’s Kitchen

C1: Alright boys, remain focused. These folks often turn on their electricity about this time so we’ve got to move swiftly!

C2: Got it. Who’s on duty tonight?

C1: Kwiksie. She’s supposed to be making supper for her folks.

C3: You mean that skinny one? Oh boy! I absolutely love coming out when she’s the human around. She gets so excited whenever she sees us!

C2: That isn’t excitement fool. She’s terrified of us.

C4: But how’s that possible? Aren’t they supposed to be stronger than we are?

C1: Yeah but obviously, she probably doesn’t understand that. Now concentrate. C2, you stay above. As soon as you sense activity, fly from your station near the window to the cupboard where the ingredients are stored. She’ll be sure to see you there or at least hear you. C4, you stay in the frame of the sliding windows and just keep walking back and forth. The sound drives her crazy. You may also beats your wings loudly for good measure. C3, you stay on the ground. With others, that’s often a really dangerous position but she’ll most likely run away from you than actually step on you. Are we ready?

All Cs: Yes sir!

C1: Then move out.

***

Kwiksie walks into the kitchen at 8:37pm very slowly, flashing the dim torchlight in too many places at once as she proceeds with great caution. She expects to see those evil little things. They always seem to be all over the place when she’s alone. She proceeds further into the room and starts to relax when she hears it. The unmistakable sound of thin brown wings beating.

“Mommy! Please can I just wait a little longer till the electricity comes back on? They’re in here.”

She hears her mother’s reply from the living room. “Who’s in where honey?”

“The cOckRoachEs! They’re in the Kitchen and they’re flying!”

“Wuoh, Kwiksie you either ignore those things or kill them. It’s late enough as it is. Must your brothers eat their dinner by 10pm simply because of your ridiculous fear of these creatures?”

Kwiksie is still whining about the injustice of the entire situation when she hears the irritating scraping at the window directly opposite her. Immediately, the beam of the torch travels to the window but the curtain hides whatever is behind. She moves the light again and sees something dark crawling over the spice cupboard and her miserable frown deepens. A movement at the sink catches her attention and next to the tap she finds another one. She is almost in tears. As she is still trying futilely to get her heart’s beating to reduce in tempo, something crawls over her foot.

The torchlight goes flying through the air and crashes into the dish rack and in the next instant, Kwiksie flees the kitchen at top speed, frantically flaying her arms the entire time.

“Ooooooh Lord, why!? I told you. I told you! Now the stupid thing has crawled on me! Oooooooooooohhhh!”

Her mother tries to calm her down but her efforts are wasted. “Please mommy, please! I can’t go back in there until someone kills all those things and stays with me until I finish cooking oh. I just cannot.”

Kwiksie’s mother asks her older brother who’s also seated in the living room, to come to his sister’s aid. While he heads for the kitchen, shaking his head in disgust at Kwiksie’s reaction to mere insects, she rushes off to the bathroom to scrub her feet. As she hurries off, her mother’s voice is loud enough for her to hear; “Only God knows when you will understand that they are more terrified of you than you are of them. Your fear is what keeps them alive and gives them power. You must outgrow this Kwiksie.”

Kwiksie sulks and mumbles to herself. “Eeehn, I’ll outgrow it. But certainly not today.”

To be continued….

(Check for the conclusion and moral of the story in the following post(s) )

Xxx, Kwiksie.

The "There Must Be Something They're Doing Right" Project

Hi people. It's been quite some time. Hope all's been well with y'all though.

Alright so there's this project i started working on towards the end of last semester . I'm not going to display the whole thing but i just thought the concept of the project might be worth mentioning to someone out there.

We all know (or should know) that forgiveness is a deliberate & conscious act but one that goes completely against our natures of sin (ex-natures for those of us in Christ though #wink). In the flesh, we love to pile up our grieviances and the offences committed against us all the time. Sometimes, we even do it unconsciously. Some do it to feed the malice and bitterness they choose to hold, others may store it simply to bring those wrongs & mistakes back up in the person's face to condemn them(even when they may have repented and tried to change), & then some just do it to get folks to feel sorry for them & take their side.

In one of the courses I take at the university, we’re taught about the general nature of conflict and misunderstandings which inevitably arise amongst human beings in any given society. As expected, if we differ, there will most certainly be contrasts in views, opinions and patterns of behavior. Thankfully, I now have better understanding of some of the basics which make it possible to successfully accommodate differences. I've also learnt to better control my emotions and tongue; you see, these two need to be thoroughly mastered in order to develop better inter-personal relationships with others.

So, to further aid me in forgiving + forgetting offences or hurtful things done to me, I was led to put together a list of a group of people I relate the most with when school's in session and list out ten things about each of them that i admire or appreciate. The point is, when i keep reminding myself of the things i love about them & constantly think on those things...i won't have time to store anger or resentment even when they hurt me. So this list will help:

 To serve as a reminder to my heart and spirit, whenever there's a threat of hindrance to the expression of Christ’ love, that even I may be one of the most difficult people to love and yet Jesus made it look so easy with the evident willingness He used to sacrifice Himself for undeserving me.

 To help me keep in mind at ALL times that no matter how much ‘bad’ a person may choose to constantly display, it does not absolutely render the good in them non-existent.

 To serve as an encourager to do what is right (no matter how inconvenient or annoying) when I feel too exasperated to respond to behaviors or situations in a manner that would most please Christ and severely displease my flesh.

 To serve as a faith booster, reminding me that if 10 appealing things can be found in each individual, then there must be a treasure of lots more, only requiring my sincere love and patience to reveal.

 Lastly, to help me keep in mind that my job as an espouser of Christ’ selfless love, is to search for the best in all God’s creation and keep watering that best with love, faith and prayer till it becomes all that’s left of the individual.

Love, like forgiveness, is a conscious choice and when we truly walk in Christlike love...forgiveness becomes easier. So, I choose to love people. Be they people at my university, my family, distant relatives, church folks, haters, critics, friends, ex-friends, those i am yet to meet - anyone! Christs' love has been shed abroad in my heart see. Bottom line, it will be most dishonest if I claim to love Him, whom I have not seen, when I am unable to love my brother/brethren, whom I do see.

Get it? :)

So please, let's enjoy life and sincerely express His love as often as we can. It's really easy to feel everyone else deserves to be hated or forever unforgiven for some thing they might have done before (or still do); but really, deep down, none of us are any better. Jesus is the one who makes all the difference remember? ;)

xxx, Kwiksie.~

Save Your APPLAUSE. -_-

Minister, not entertainer.

“Kwiksie, look, I totally get your point…but we both know that’s not what people like to hear.”

“Seriously? How on earth do you hope to get fans if you keep doing things like this?”

“When you have all it takes to make folks love you, why not just give them what they want?!”

How about, because it’s the exact opposite of what God wants? Eh pal?

My name is Okwukwe Ifediora, generally referred to as Kwiksie. I am a born-again musician. Do you want to know what that means? It means that my musicianship is ALWAYS secondary to my call as a follower of Jesus Christ. Alright? Get it! I am not (and NEVER will be) first a musician and then a Christian. Music will always take the back-seat to my service to my risen savior. Period.

#sigh. Really though, when are we going to stop this?- Living for the applause i mean.

Many of you might be convinced otherwise, but the few (‘few’ because I could probably make a decent book of them) questions I quoted above weren’t even directed at me by those who are foreigners to the faith or ‘secular artistes’, as we like to put it, or folks like that. The people asking me things like this are Christians --- according to them at least. I mean, seriously, do we even listen to ourselves sometimes? When on earth did the focus become what they want and what the fans like to hear and all that garbage?!

Is it the media and the fans who have given us life? Are they the ones responsible for our possession of whatever ‘gift’ we may have that is musically inclined? Did the fans and the public sacrifice their most precious to save every single undeserving bit of us, in exchange for our undivided, undiluted love for and devotion to them?

Think about what you’re saying and doing! There's more to life than folks clapping their hands every now and then when you amuse or entertain them.

Each and every human being has got a purpose for being created (a purpose one just might remain clueless about until he/she chooses to buddy up with Jesus) and for those of us who are members of the body of Christ there is a call on our lives. I am called to minister to others through music – amongst other things – thus music ministry is my primary calling. Now from a study of Romans 12:1-8 in a teaching by Bob Kauflin titled > ‘The Call of The Christian Musician’ (I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU FIND IT AND LISTEN TO IT!!!), I have come to the deeper understanding that my basic call, as a Christian musician, is to:

“Faithfully make music – in ANY context – that reflects a grateful servant’s response to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Before you sniff your nose at this point or close the page, please take time to sit and meditate on this word (and please do get the teaching ASAP…you’ll love it). Ask yourself whom your creator is and for what purpose you were created. Have you seen anyone who’s more stable than God or anyone who loves you more? (If you said yes, I promise you we are not talking about the same person). Do you really want to dedicate your time, energy and LIFE to pleasing the crowd? The world? This fickle, fluctuating, inconsistent, deceitful, confused and oh-so-temporary world?! When did ‘going with the flow’ and ‘dancing to the beat’ become our motto as believers? We have obligations to the person who actually runs things (sorry B, it’s not girls after all) and who demands that every breath of air He’s given us permission to consume be used to honor Him and instead what do we do? We ‘do it for the fans’ (or the vine – story for another day).

It’s just so pathetic.

I’m not saying fans are evil, I am not saying become religious and sanctimonious, I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy the gift music is. I’m saying when we take our focus off God and decide to zero in on doing things solely for their ‘commercial’ worth or for the accolades to be recieved; when we get to producing things which are supposedly ‘appealing’ to the majority with zero regard for our Lord; when we do things just because people expect it and we don't want to 'offend' the sensibilities of someone or the other – that’s when we hit the ‘self-destruct’ button. If we don’t serve and praise Him, He’ll get others who will; but if we are honest with ourselves, we’d realize there’s none more deserving of our service and adoration than the Almighty. So why work yourself to the bone for things as temporary as a flash of lightening, and for folks who won’t hesitate to stomp you as soon as they’ve drained you to nothing?

This is the truth; I’m on any and every stage on this earth to perform for an audience of One – everyone else is warmly invited though - but the primary reason I have got to make it good is to please Him.

Folks think I’m naïve, boring or too ‘strait-jacket’? *sighs*

That's just too bad.

xxx, Kwiksie.

I Wonder What It Would Mean To You...

I wonder what it would mean to you

If I promised you I’d never lie.

Never pretending things would be ever peachy

But letting you know I’ll always be on stand-by.

Trust has to be the swaddling cloth

In which our love, most precious, is wrapped.

Instead of letting suspicion, insecurity and doubt

Be the premise on which your actions are mapped.

I wonder what it would mean to you

If you knew your best interest fills my heart.

Would the assurance of my love be convincing-

Enough to let me walk you through every path?

Through the pain that cuts and the tears that burn

Could you trust me in spite of it all?

Or would the faintest sign of turbulence

Cause you to pack up and run?

I wonder what it would mean to you

If you knew I prefer your body to concrete.

That this container of flesh in which you function

Is really my most choice place of dwelling.

I don’t mind meeting and talking with you

Within walls erected by some man.

But if you let me in to clean you up

You’d see you’re the most fitting dwelling for ‘I am’.

I wonder what it would mean to you

If you knew I’d never cheat.

Because with everything at my disposal

You’re yet still my masterpiece.

I couldn’t love you any less even if I wanted to

But my love for you is perfect, no matter what you do.

I’ll always be faithful, can you say the same?

You could get distracted and maybe forget my name.

Faithful, loyal and true; this is who I’ll always be,

And I love you too much to see you hurt so just stick with me.

I wonder what it would mean to you

If you knew I gave it all.

No one else would come to your rescue

But I jumped at the call.

I’ve never felt so much anguish, sorrow, pain and misery

I went through it humbly, just so you could find joy in me.

So their looks could warm and their touches could melt;

But what happens when after your soiling, a cruel hand’s all you’re dealt?

I love you so very much and want you to be mine, forever!

So when will you stop treating me as though I don’t matter?

Thus the single woman prayed...

"Lord, may it be your word that is carved upon my heart and your love that i crave. Open my mind and heart to drink in the word you give me each day. Strengthen me for your purpose. Cast out the 'if onlys' and 'what ifs' that plague me when i think of him – whoever that turns out to be. I don't know what it feels like to be loved by a man. Sometimes i hunger for that kind of loving. Help me to see guys through your eyes Lord, and not through the eyes of a fleshly woman. The person out there you desire I team up with Father, keep him in your way. Bring him up out of every storm, trial and temptation and set his feet upon the Rock." (As modified by Kwiksie)

Amen.

Hi people. This prayer (though modified a bit - or a lot- by me), i coined from an amazing novel by Francine Rivers - "Sure as the Dawn". It's the third book in the Lion Trilogy series (that i love so very much)^_^. I feel this version strikes home better…for many of us ladies in waiting - or me at least. ;) The original prayer’s at the end of the post though…

 Anyway, a bit of the story’s background is that there’s this lady, Rizpah, a widowed believer in the gospel who'd even been somewhat mentored by apostle John (the setting's way back in the period of the early Church, following the death and resurrection of Christ) who gets stuck with Atretes, a 'heathen' German, ex-gladiator who's got temper issues and rightful paternal claims to a child she adopted with the belief his parents didn't want him anymore. Now the story's plenty (i suggest you just read the book) but one out of the thousands of things that really struck a chord in me from the novel was this prayer. See they had been together awhile and there was no doubt that Atretes had the hots for Rizpah and, to be honest, vice versa. Yet in as much as it was the struggle of a lifetime, Rizpah hung on to Jesus and integrity and purity as onto dear life. She didn't try to make excuses for the weakness she felt in her flesh (Atretes was quite a hunk) nor blame God for bringing such a temptation her way and deciding that giving into her lust would be His fault and not hers. She loved him quite alright (though she fought hard against it initially) but was achingly aware of the fact that she, a daughter of the Kingdom, could not allow herself to be unequally yoked to one still lost in darkness and she trusted God to bring a man after his own heart out of the brutal gladiator.

Or maybe just bring her another sort of man altogether.

See too many times we ladies fall into the deception of thinking we can convert a person or change them. It's a hoax. Same goes for the brothers. We can't change anyone any more than we can redeem ourselves! Rizpah knew that. Most importantly (even to her), she knew that Atretes' soul was heavily at stake and her duty as a believer was primarily to God, not her feelings. The guy had suffered a great deal and had a million and one issues; his disdain for the almighty being the greatest, and despite her growing attraction to him and in disregard of her wants or feelings, she put the need for his salvation above all that. She understood fully that him getting to fall in love with his maker was tons more profitable than him falling in love with her (although it was something she desired). Her reaction at every point in time was with God's will and pleasure at the fore front of her mind and i think that's quite a lesson for many of us.

Sometimes it gets so lonely that some are filled with such desperate longing that they're willing to ignore God's will and pleasure, forget his promises and plans for them, all in the hopes of landing a great guy. But we need to remember that a 'great guy' is included in "ALL the good and PERFECT gifts" which come from the Father in whom there's no shadow of turning nor variableness. Finding (or being found by), the ‘ultimate’ mortal dream man can be lovely and should be a thing of joy, but when we neglect to rely on God to orchestrate these findings and refuse to follow his blueprint for a wonderful and fulfilled life, that’s when things get messed up. It’s not about getting fed up with how hard it is or wallowing in self-pity and frustration; it’s about trusting in the one who knows the end from the beginning and the one who’s given you the grace and ability to overcome every temptation that wanders your way.

I found it really beautiful that she subjected the desires of her flesh, her longings, her passions and needs even, to the will of God, knowing that whether or not she got the guy in the end, the most important thing was the guy getting God and her staying in obedience.

Go Rizpah! :) and Happy New Month ladies.

The original prayer: “Lord, may it be your word that is carved upon my heart, your love that I crave. Open my mind and heart to drink the word Theophilus gives me each morning. Strengthen me for your purpose. Cast out the ‘if onlys’ and ‘what ifs’ that plague me when Atretes looks at me. I remember what it felt like to be loved by a man. Sometimes I hunger for that kind of loving again. Help me to see him through your eyes, Lord, and not through the eyes of a fleshly woman. Redeem him, Father. Bring him up out of the pit and set his feet upon the Rock.”

P.s: Get the book(s) A.S.A.P. @ >>> http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95602.Mark_of_the_Lion_Trilogy

xxx, Kwiksie.