To Close the Month...

Hey people! How are you all doing? Hope your sunday's going as great as mine...just about to hit the books in preparation for my 'very near' examinations.
Yippee! #cough

Anyway, in respect to my beloved joy-enhancing hobby (nature/sky photography), this month has been one of the most breathtaking yet (at least for me). I'm going to share one or tow throwbacks but majority of the shots are from March.
Call me a romantic or whatever you please, but i really am yet to engage in any other seemingly 'random' activity that will bring me as much joy as the admiration of God's artistic skill does. There's just something about the sky....

#sigh.

I have thus decided, out of the sheer generosity of my heart (lol - i'm sure half of you don't give two hoots about this stuff), to share - at no charge - a few shots i managed to capture with my very mean photographing device --- my ipod. :D
Funny enough my super-great dad got me a better camera to indulge in my sky photographing past-time but it doesn't seem to capture the details and patterns up there as i'd like. It may be the light setting on the thing (or probably because i am yet to read the manual) or whatever.
Please note, most of them are slightly edited (it's actually not much; "sharpen, saturate or glow", basically..) but it's not like there's anything in particular you're supposed to be looking for oh (like a face in the clouds or stuff like that). I just think the beauty is most vivid in the sheer simplicity of it all. <3

So here they are. Pleasant viewing! :)

Have an amazing month ahead...

and don't forget to look up!

^_^

xxx, Kwiksie.

Sunrise on my birthday (1st November 2013)

That background glow though...the only thing that could get me photographing the library.

When it threatens to rain...

Aunty Chioma's flower bed. ^_^

I love this shot! It just made my thursday...

Colours!!! :)

sigh....

#nocaption

For Your Information (2)

Hey people.

WARNING: This is a long post.

So, in my last entry, I shared a bit about how I think the world just might be a better place if we quit acting like we were the only ones in it; and I remember I did say the post was really inspired by a pretty ‘no-big-deal’ type incident (one which was blown into one however).

Well basically there’s this amazing young woman I know who hardly ever sees eye-to-eye with me on most subjects (which is perfectly understandable since, as I’ve said previously, perceptions, opinions and interpretations on most things in life vary from human to human).

The semi-unpleasant exchange which transpired was directly linked to me pointing out that she was currently doing something (which directly affected me) that I’d rather she desist from—A.S.A.P.

That was it.

I don’t really want to go into the nitty-gritty details but that’s just the basic summary of it. I was trying to relay something to someone – a really brief account mind you – and she kept butting in incessantly. I mean, before I’d finish two sentences, she’d ask the very same question that had already been answered maybe five seconds before. She did it a couple times…

Needless to say, I found it a tad rude and irritating and thus I requested (in a rather pleading manner) that she just let me finish my tale.

Now was that so wrong?

Maybe I could have said it better. Perhaps plastering a smile on my face while saying it, despite how I felt, would have helped? Or better yet, could be that just keeping my big mouth shut and letting my emotions of displeasure subside would have been the perfect reaction?

Maybe, maybe not.

Still, I said what I said and it got me an index finger in my face (not literally), accusing me of being the Head chief of the very art of ‘butting in’ that I was whining about.

Was that accusation void of truth? Hardly. I tend to put my flat nose into many a conversation I never received an invite to. Sometimes it can be pleasant and there are numerous occasions when people appreciate my getting involved on my own accord, especially when what I say seems to be of value. But the truth is, more times than not it’s just a big fat pain and they are all probably screaming inwardly; “WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP!?”

I know. Sometimes I can sense when my talk is becoming exasperating (I think we all can but often just ignore the signs), especially when people complain about it with their body language. It’s fine. Noted. To be honest I wish they would just yell it out as loud as their brains were yelling though because if I get really revved up by what I’m saying, I might not really be seeing (or hearing) anything else but the point I’m trying to drive across.

I’m fully aware it isn’t the best habit, however, and God is helping me out of it.

An excessive love for the sound of your voice is just…sad.

Anyway, unfortunately, high populations of people say nothing at all, mask their irritation and often even lead one to believe that they ‘appreciate’ the input. Yet, their spite for the speaker grows with each word produced.

I believe this was the case of this young lady. I fully appreciated (appreciate still) her telling me what she thought of my conversational skills. But that she only exposed to me my flaws because she had taken massive offence at a harmless request and sought to justify herself by playing the ‘You started it!’ card is what saddened me. Greatly.

These are a few reasons why:

1. Just because i happen to have done what is wrong does not change the fact that it is…WRONG. My supposedly being the lead perpetrator of the most vile act, and yet rebuking you for acting in like manner, does not take the ‘vileness’ out of the action but simply evidences the fact that I just may be a shameless 

hypocrite. ‘Everyone is doing it’ or ‘You do it too’ are not licenses in any place on this earth for wrongdoing; and they definitely wouldn’t hold water in any court of law.
Trying to excuse the wrong we do and take the negative focus off ourselves by supposedly exposing the faults of others is neither Christian nor wise.

Scripture says we are not wise if we compare ourselves one with another.
If we've messed up, we need to swallow some humble pie and just admit it. Acknowledging a mistake is the first step to avoiding its reoccurrence.

2. Choosing to inform someone of a habit or behavior you dislike AT THE VERY MOMENT they're telling you of what you do which offends them is a sad and immature habit. It depicts a heart that's unwilling to learn...and those heart types aren't always very healthy.

It just makes one look stubborn and super-defensive, plain and simple.

Even at times when the pattern of delivery is most unsavory, we should develop such an attitude of humility that we are actually able to first hear out the person or acknowledge our slip. Getting unnecessarily emotional and refusing to accept every notion that we have parts to play in the friction that's created in many of our relationships is counter-productive.

If (and even if not) we indeed see truth in what is being said and have noted it down as something we should work on for self-improvement, THEN we can inform the other party of where WE are hurting as well (preferably at a later date though, so it doesn't look like a tit for tat thing).

Effective communication, as we all know, is highly essential in any relationship that’s supposed to be going anywhere. If we keep playing the silent doormats and letting folks wipe their feet all over us it won’t get us anywhere but to a morose land of pent up frustration and bitterness. Likewise, if we refuse to condone any form of criticism whatsoever, regardless of the motive or presentation, we aren’t likely to get very far then…

We aren’t likely to get anywhere really.

3. Love believes all things. Love hopes all things. i.e. >> Love gives the benefit of a doubt. Walking around with the impression that someone's always out to be mean or unfair to you is not nice; either to the person or yourself.

I'm not saying there are not people like that (unhappy individuals who seek to share the hate).

However, for someone to be able to really hurt you (emotionally now) there often tends to be a certain degree of affection for them in existence; so if there's an act you interpret as unfair or inconsiderate, the first conclusion you jump to shouldn't be that the person DELIBERATELY set out to commit this nasty act against you. Where is the expression of love in that? Speculating on and imagining all sorts of negative scenarios which all boil down to the person being impervious and callous is a sad waste of time. If i notice something i consider out-of-character for you

(since i have chosen to believe the best of people and chosen to believe that you are not an imp by design), i will not hesitate to approach you for us to discuss it. COMMUNICATION IS KEY. It is sheer wickedness for me to permanently judge a person to be irreparably flawed in some way by something he or she did, when i have observed the behavior i think is offensive severally and never bothered to correct IN LOVE. Bottling up hurts and grievances instead of sharing them to try and come up with a solution is not a useful principle. Anybody can complain, it takes a caring heart, patience, maturity and a loving spirit to search for the root of the problem, and make visible effort to find a solution.

That's what friends do.

That’s how Christ’s ambassadors act.

Now all this here is just my opinion and derived from my understanding of scripture plus what I’ve learned interacting with people. Maybe what I suggest doesn’t work in all scenarios but I’ll bet it’ll work at some point. Truth is, it would all be tons easier if we’d just obey God to the letter and really practicalize the concept of loving one’s neighbor as self. It won’t happen in a day, but the fact that we even make an attempt is an expression of love for our fellow man.

Remember, no one is the ‘bad guy’ or ‘bad girl’ (Romans 3:23). We are all given equal access to the love of Christ. We are all undeserving of it. We have all lived in sin. It’s the utmost duty of those of us who’ve received the light and truth that is Christ, to share it in every aspect of our lives as best as we can. Whether it’s in speaking, chilling, gisting, dating, rebuking, disagreeing, working, thinking, playing, challenging – anything we are doing! There’s always a way to go all “Christ-like” on the matter.

So keep calm and do your job.

We may not always get it right of ourselves, but the most beautiful thing is…it was never about us in the first place. ;)

Stay blessed people.

xxx, Kwiksie.

For Your Information.

Hello people. :)
It's nice to be able to communicate with you all once again because lately, we're i'm currently situated, getting access to the internet seems a luxury. But thank God that phase appears to be a thing of the past...hopefully.

I'm inspired to write today - now - because something just recently happened (about a few minutes ago) that bothers me. It probably shouldn't, but it does and you'll find out what it is soon enough. Promise.


Now, do you know how easy it is to point the finger? How it often is the most natural thing on earth for us to blame, accuse, judge and criticize others? How we can sometimes consider a person's character, nature, habits, opinions, personality and maybe even looks, deficient in some way?



Is that a nod I see? I'll bet.

Being Mr., Mrs. or Miss right tends to be very convenient (and i'm not talking about the romantic/spousal connotation for which that phrase is oft used). It's just absolutely lovely to be the expert on everything and everyone; what with our being entirely void of all error, prone to no mistake and having no existing evidence of wrong judgement, isn't it?

Well, it should be!

I mean, if I don't absolutely, positively consider myself - beyond all reasonable doubt - the epitome of 'rightness' in every circumstance imaginable, and if i don't revel in the boost it gives to my ego and psyche when i imagine myself superior to every other individual, i don't see why i would make a career of fault finding or flaw revealing. I don't see why at all.

But you see, that's what many of us have become. We set oursleves up as an institution of one, placing the fundamental responsibility of finding out what's wrong with every body else on our heads and refusing to condone any such impertinent insinuation linking a fault to our persons. Better yet, the thought that maybe the people we so joyously castigate - first mentally then verbally - have numerous praiseworthy traits in their possession than we are letting on, is too ludicrous for us to consider even momentarily. They are bad, they are wrong, they are flawed, and that's all there is to it.

Really?

It might interest you to know how close i was to becoming this particular breed of people. I think i had already become them to be sincere. For a long time, nothing sounded as good to me as the sound of my own voice. I could talk forever, whether it was helpful or not. If there was an error to be found, i became google. I had everything i already considered a minus in a person, tidily tucked away in my head and all that was required to prompt the search for where to categorize your shortcoming(s) was simply a tiny mistake and then >> Boo-ya! I came alive. Reeling off corrections, rebukes, castigations and the like, faster than i could draw in oxygen. It was exhilarating. Having the ability and eloquence to cut people down and prove to them just how wrong they were and how (obviously) right i was with little or no heed to moderation was what i prided myself in.

That me, was a terrible person.

I knew, God knew and so did my victims; but for some reason it was tough letting it go. You know, old habits dying hard and all that. Still though, i had to let Him help me. I was scarring too many people ceaselessly without being fully aware of the depth of wickedness i was displaying. I just didn't know! I mean, i know i just made it sound like i was just some kind of verbal-tyrant who derived pleasure from the pain of others but that couldn't be farther from the truth. I know this might surprise you, but I'D THOUGHT I WAS HELPING THEM!

I could swear i had.

I care and they're missing it so i have to intervene. That's all this is to me. I don't want them making that mistake again, i don't want them behaving like that or talking like this because i know it is bad. I know better so they should too. My opinion of acceptable, proper and appealing just has to be theirs' as well. Why? Because my opinion is right! It really is, and i have to convince them.

See the problem with my mentality? First of all, it was exceedingly selfish. Count all the 'I's and 'Me's and 'My's there were present in my thoughts for proof. Isn't it sickening? Nowhere was i taking into consideration how different people are, at no point in time was i considering the possibility that their slip might have been a deviation from their nature(s); that there may be some reason for doing what they did or acting as they did. There was hardly any empathy involved - there was none involved, period. I had set my principles as the standard. And all that liveth were to internalize them.

No wonder i was ineffective, no wonder i was despised. I couldn't understand for the life of me why they refused to see through my eyes. I was pained and convinced they just were too poor in coming to terms with their flaws. There i was, trying to help and save them from themselves and all i got was spite. They were all painting me in a bad light when i was the only 'good guy' - or so i'd thought.

I had missed the point. Terribly.

Nobody cared if my concerns were genuine nor if my motives were right. Nobody cared if my rebuke was necessary or if my counsel was sound (though, looking back, i'm pretty sure it wasn't mostly). My approach was messed up. As was my delivery, style and possibly even content.
But you know my biggest mistake? I was entirley focused on aligning everyone's thinking pattern to mine...not to God's.

You don't get wronger than that.


To be continued...
P.s: you all will not believe what prompted all of this.

xxx, Kwiksie.

Something Worth Pondering Over >>> (Reblogged Post)

Hi people! How are you? There's this awesome, mega sweet post i read awhile ago on this blog >>> http://michaeljpittman.wordpress.com/
and i thought it was absolutely BRILLIANT! So, as expected,i'm going to share it with you all. :)
I know it probably seems that i'm being kind of lazy considering i haven't necessarily taken time to type out a lengthy post, but i figure, truth is truth, useful for edification, uplifting, correction, rebuke, healing, etc, irresepctive of the mouth from which it's coming (or in this case, the fingers. #wink). Plus, Jesus is THE truth and considering i won't necessarily be sharing doctrine or revelation that isn't or wasn't inspired by Him, i think we'll be safe saying whether the post originated from my Christ renewed mind or the Christ renewed mind of another person, bottom line is that the focus is still Christ. See?
Okay, enough with my rambling. I'm just going to share the post already....

Why I Don’t Love My Fiance

In 130 days I’m getting married, and a friend recently asked me why I love my fiancé. I wanted to share a deeper perspective on Amanda and I’s relationship, so before I answered why I love her, I had to first explain to him the reasons I don’t love my future bride to be.

I came to two conclusions:
First is, I don’t love Amanda for what’s on the outside. I know. It sounds cheesy, it sounds sappy. This perspective is not a novel idea by any means. How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t love you for what’s on the outside. I love you for what’s on the inside.” But that brings me to my second conclusion.

I don’t love Amanda for what’s on the inside either.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are many things on the inside and outside that I love aboutAmanda. Here’s a short list.

1. On the outside, she’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.
2. She has soft, almond shaped brown eyes.
3. She has gorgeous, versatile hair that can be really curly sometimes and smooth and straight other times.
4. She’s a beast at make up. She does it in a way that enhances the beautiful qualities that she already has, without being too overbearing.
5. She has a smile that can light up a room and brighten anyone’s day.
6. She values health and fitness and this shows through her wonderful figure and physique.

Guys are visual creatures, and it’s refreshing to know that I have an incredibly beautiful woman that will be my wife one day.

But it doesn’t stop there because on the inside, she’s exponentially more valuable.
7. She loves God more than anything else, and her relationship with Him is what she values most.
8.She is always looking for opportunities to serve others. Last week, I had a long week at school, and when I walked into my room, she had straightened up, she was making my bed, and she greeted me with a really big hug. It doesn’t get better than that.
9. She values the importance of a positive mindset, which encourages myself and others around her during times of trials and difficulties.
10. She is someone with purpose in mind. She doesn’t want to live an ordinary life. She wants to live a life of significance, not for her own recognition but to truly spread the love of Christ and the gospel.

Amanda is awesome. Seriously. I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate.

I love these things about her, but this is not why I love her. As I said before, I neither love her for what’s on the outside, nor do I love her for what’s on the inside.

I love her because I choose to.

In 130 short days, I will be Amanda’s husband. And at that moment, I will have a big responsibility on my shoulders — to love my wife as Christ loves his church.

Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 

So I thought about the love Christ has for me and the rest of His church. It’s unconditional on what I have done and it’s unconditional on what I do in the future. When I accept Christ, I’m in his family. Romans 8:38 tells me that nothing can ever separate me from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate me from God’s love.

So just as Christ loves the church unconditionally, I as a husband will have to love my wive the same.

And let’s be honest. Christ doesn’t love me for what’s on the outside and he doesn’t love me for what’s on the inside either.

Honestly I’m not good enough.

In fact, no one is good. In Luke 18:19, A ruler questioned Jesus, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”

And so if God doesn’t love me for what’s on the outside, and if I’m no good on the inside, then why does He love me?

Because He chooses to.

It’s not sexy. It’s not flashy. It’s countercultural. But God’s always choosing people. Whether it be Old Testament or New Testament, the Bible is jam packed of people that were chosen by God.

In Isaiah 43, God says “You are my witnesses,…,and my servant whom I have chosen”

In Ephesians 1, I learned He chose me “in Him before the foundation of the world.”

In John 15, Jesus says “You did not choose Me but I chose you.” 

So what my love boils down to is not Amanda’s beautiful brown eyes, Amanda’s positive mindset, or the fact that she is incredibly good looking. My love boils down to a choice to pursue a covenant relationship with her and only her. By choosing Amanda, and saying “yes” to her, I’m also saying “no” to everyone else.

My marriage vows won’t say “I’ll love you through sickness and health…as long you keep working out, and stay below this weight….and  keep your hair long….and remain gentle and genuine.”  In 30 years, Amanda and I will look different, act different, and be different than we are now at the age of 21 and 20 years old.

Things change. But my marriage vows won’t. They’re modeled after the love of Christ, and His love is unconditional.

But Michael, what if she goes crazy? 

What if she cuts off all her hair?

What if her heart of gold turns into a heart of stone?

Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter. I gotta love through it. When I commit to a covenant relationship in 130 days, I’m committing myself to a choice to love without conditions.

That’s how Jesus loves me.

And if you don’t know Christ, I encourage you to explore what it means to have a relationship with Him. He is the truest example of love that we have.

I love you guys, and I’ll talk to you soon.

There's hardly anything to add. Hopes this helps to inspire those of us who need to rethink some relationships, cut some off, better prioritize things and just generally get it all into focus and develop the RIGHT perspective --- God's Perspective.

I pray God preserve the unity and love these two share. And anyone of you who might be in the same shoes. ;)

God bless you all...and no, i won't give the 'expected' greeting commonly expressed on today's date, but the reason will have to be in another day's post...so i can go into detail. Hehe.. ;)

xxx, Kwiksie.

He's On The Way

Hi people!

Good morning to you. This is a quick one, there's this track i very recently recorded with my big brother (to be honest it's my first recording EVER! // ^_^). So, anyway, i'm going to put the link up here for those of you who haven't gotten access to it yet. I hope it blesses you and please, do share it with someone ==> ==> ==> https://soundcloud.com/kwiksie/hes-on-the-way.

When another one gets done, by God's grace, you'll know. ;)
Have an amazing day!

xxx, Kwiksie~

Take My Son

Hi all! Happy not-so-new-month of February. I hope the month's been going real smooth for you, and if it hasn't...hang in there.

On this post i just want to pass across a very important message (many of you might have heard it before--but i know there are tons who are yet to.) ^_^

To be very honest, i wish i could say i came up with this story illustration---but i absolutely did not. :D I happened to be privileged enough to stumble across it a number of years ago and decided to share it. But then, i digress....;) Look, all i can tell you is it's beautiful (at least to me) and the ending is so very unexpected...

Take my Son

 

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war.  He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door.  A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life.  He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."  The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man.  He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me.  It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle.  Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings.  Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel.  "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

 

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one."

But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"

Another voice angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"

But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

 

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry.  When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will.  I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned  Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave His son over 2,000 years ago to die on the cross.  Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 

"The son, the son, who'll take the son?"

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son...gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE (John 3:16)...that's love.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You know what's so striking about the truth? The fact that it IS truth!!!

Too often we find ourselves trying so hard to 'get in' on all the amazing, desirable, 'good stuff' God has made available to us on earth; yet,we try even harder to skip out or avoid the things that please Him the most. Our selfishness makes it easy for us to make zero effort at valuing that which our generous and extra loving father holds dear to His heart; all too many of us are interested in is 'getting' and the only things some of us give a second glance at are the flashy, mega-flambuoyant and impressive trimmings of things that often lack any real substance.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Please, think on it. In the end, our individual relationships with Christ is all that really matters. Plus, the only way we're going to gain access to everything that's worth anything, is through Him.

It's pretty short and simple story. Hope you enjoyed it and kindly SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE (PLEASE)!

You never know just who might need to hear these words----right about now. :)

God bless.

xxx, Kwiksie~