This New Year 2017 I Plan To Be More Romantic

I picked up a pen and made to add being more romantic to my list of goals for 2017. 

But does that even make sense? Who makes being romantic a goal? *side eyes at me*

I sat down and replayed the conversation that I had with a dear friend in my head.
The words "you are not romantic and it's not good for a woman" reverberated in my head as I thought of ways to be "more romantic".

Then I thought to myself, "How dare he say that? He's not even my boyfriend for Christ's sake so why should I act romantic with a man I am not in a relationship with?"
"How dare he judge me? Besides aren't men supposed to be the initiators in relationships?"
The voice in my head cut in again,
"why didn't you say that to him while he was still here or you think there's an iota of truth in what he said?"

The questions and conversations in my head just went on and on.

This romance thing sef, are there people born naturally romantic? Cos some of us are too practical for the mushy stuff.

In case you are wondering what all this is about, here's what happened...
I was having a simple and friendly conversation with a friend who had come to see me. As he made to leave, I saw him off to his car and as we made small talk with me leaning against his car he blurted out the words "you are not romantic and it's not good for a woman".
I retorted by asking why he said that and he listed the qualities that makes one "romantic/emotional". Our conversation went on till he left.

That was when the conversation in my head started.
Now I know I may be taking this too seriously but truth is it's not the first time someone wouldn't be saying this to me so maybe they see something I am not seeing and maybe I need to make corrections.
"So how do I become more romantic?"

I proceeded to write a list of romantic things to do but all that came to my mind would probably make any man scared. I mean how would you as a guy react to a girl you are not in a relationship with sending you flowers? Or calling several times a day just because I'm thinking of you? Or asking you to go to the movies? Or going out for a burger or pizza or to do Karaoke? Or any other fun activity?
Talk about the recipe for disaster.

Assuming these are too far fetched and I chose to tow my friend's line of how romance works, I can't imagine being all over a man in the name of showering him with love and attention.
And then, aren't all these things men initiate?
I asked that question severally until a phrase dropped in my heart " from the beginning it was not so".
Those were Christ's words when he was asked about divorce and I wondered what that had to do with the questions about romance in my head.

I dropped my pen in frustration...maybe I'm taking this thing too seriously, I cannot come and go and kee myself.
I proceeded to continue the book I'm currently reading by Joshua Harris 'boy meets girl: say hello to courtship' and there I got it from the 7th chapter - 'If boys would be men, would girls be ladies'.
I had a eureka moment and answers to my questions on being more romantic.
Joshua in simple words wrote about the the roles men and women ought to play in relationships - a man should be the initiator and not take a passive, couch-potato stance in a relationship.

This hit home - from the beginning it was not so.

There are roles men ought to play in a relationship and there are roles for women too, so maybe I am not the unromantic one, maybe boys no longer know how to be men or simply refuse to be men as such there's no gesture of romance for me to respond to.

Talking about romance also, the opinion I have gotten of what romance is seems warped.
A man wants my body and sees it as romance when he hasn't even touched my mind. What happened to stimulating conversations?
He wants me moaning in ecstasy under him when he doesn't even know what makes me laugh, sober or fired up.

So you see, the romance thing isn't entirely my fault. These boys wouldn't put in work and maybe it's because girls these days have become aggressive and taken up the role of the initiator.

But I think I too could start being romantic as well - so I will start by making plans and taking notes of romantic things to do - for me.

I will make an effort at being romantic but I will begin with me.

The Story of Samson: When Love Becomes A Bad Thing

If you have ever spent time with me then you may have heard me ask why parents name their children Samson. Or aren't names believed to have a significant impact in a child's life?

So why Samson?

I would never name my child Samson. Even if I have 200 sons and run out of names I would rather call my child 'Name' than call him 'Samson'.

"Ahn Okiemute it's not that deep na or did a man called Samson steal your money and broke your heart?"

No.

I don't even personally know anyone called Samson. Maybe as a surname but not as a name.
'So why wouldn't you name your child Samson?' You may ask.

It's because of the first man who bore that name. Remember him?

The Nazarite, Manoah's son who was the strongest man in the Bible.

Remember him now?

The man who fell in love with Delilah na? Ehen!

Now you know him and by the way Delilah is another name I'm sure most people wouldn't give to their daughters.

Now back to my story about Samson.

Samson was the strongest man in the Bible physically but the weakest in my opinion emotionally and that was his undoing.

His biggest mistake was falling in love - with the wrong woman.

This is not to say falling in love is wrong but when you let your feelings control you then it can be a bad thing - that's a lesson I learned from Samson.

I'll go on to list other lessons I learned from Samson and I hope they help you understand why I wouldn't name my son Samson but first let me give you a brief story about him.

Samson was born at a time when Israel was under the bondage of the Philistines. He was born a Nazarite to a woman who was barren and his sole purpose was to deliver Israel from the Philistine. In order to fulfill that purpose God gave him supernatural strength and his secret was his hair - his hair was to never be cut or he would lose his strength.

So our beloved Samson grew to be strong, no razor touched his hair (as a Nazarite) and he did help Israel fight the Philistines.

Imagine one man pulling up a whole city gate and running uphill with it. That was Samson. He killed a Lion with his bare hands as well as about a thousand Philistines with the jaw bone of an ass - singlehandedly.

Samson was so strong that no man could stand or overpower him as such the Philistines had to send a woman to do the job of bringing Samson down.

Her name was Delilah.

Samson fell in love with Delilah knowing well that she was an enemy and that marked the beginning of the end for him - and his purpose.

So back to the mistakes Samson made:

1. Samson let his feelings control him. When Delilah asked him the source of his strength, Samson lied 3 times and on all occasions she tried to get the Philistines to kill him. That was enough for anyone to be cautious but not Samson. After her third trial Delilah flipped the script and told him if you love me you would tell me the truth - she appealed to his feelings and he ignored the fact that Delilah was no good for him.
Feelings make us human but when we let our feelings override the truth/fact it can make us weak and hurt us.
Never trust your feelings or emotions else they mislead you.

2. Samson willfully lived carelessly and abused God's mercy that he didn't know when God left him - Judges 16:20b says "but he did not know that the Lord had left him". This means we can get so lost in sin while singing about grace till God decides to just leave us and that's what Apostle Paul calls a reprobate mind.
So all may still seem normal as it was with Samson but with time the consequences of our actions will start showing.

3.Samson made Delilah an Idol by giving her greater priority than he gave to God. His desire for Delilah was deeper than his devotion to God.
Samson didn't worship God and never thanked God even all the times he defeated the Philistines. Instead he spent more time chasing women, little wonder he didn't know when God left him - he never truly desired God and his desires (women) brought about his downfall.

In summary, Samson was captured, imprisoned and his eyes were plucked out. The strongest man died with the Philistines - the same people he was supposed to deliver Israel from.
He never fulfilled his purpose because he got distracted and Israel were once again back to being in bondage.

Now you see why I would never understand why parents name their sons Samson and why I would never name my child after him - he abused love and is an example of how our weakness can overpower our strength, causing us and those dependent on us harm.

The Gift of A Second Chance

One of the most important lessons I have learned in life is that everyone deserves a second chance no matter what they have done. 
Before you say 'Okiemute e be like say person never do you strong thing before", remember also the time you showed others pepper and hurt them. We give people second chances because we too will at various times in our lives need second, third, fourth, fifth...chances. You see now?
Another lesson I have learned is that when we get a second chance in life we ought to accept it and not hold on to our mistakes. Let go of your mistakes and strive to do better.
One remarkable example of this is the story of the Adulterous woman in the Bible. She committed adultery and the penalty according to the law was death by stoning - I wonder why no one said anything about the man she cheated with. 
She was to be killed but Jesus Christ gave her back her life by simply making her accusers empathize with her. 
When the people asked Jesus his opinion on her sin as Moses law commanded that such a person be stoned to death, he responded saying
"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her".
He had asked them to put themselves in her shoes and decide if they would love to be condemned like that. Thank God it was a crowd of honest albeit hypocritical people. 
They dropped their stones and walked  away, and when the woman affirmed to Jesus that no one condemned her, he simply told her to "go and sin no more". 
She got a second chance at life and I hope she took it. I hope she forgave herself, asked her husband's forgiveness and lived more honourably.
Second chances are gifts that should be cherished and when God gives us a second chance in life, health, relationships, finances, it's our duty to accept his gift and make him glad.
These second chances come to us with each new day so do not let your mistakes hold you back from living well. 
It's a new year and a chance to get it right again - savour it, enjoy it and bless others with it. 
Happy New Year!

Take Me, Break Me, Make Me

Take me and break me. 

Take this thing called flesh, this part of me that's strayed from you and betrays me...take it and break it. 

Take all that is contrary to your desire for me - people and things...take and break them. 

Take these walls of carnality and the desire to please the flesh...take it and break it. 

Take my wanton desires, lust, pride, ego, selfishness and disobedience...take it and break it. 

Take my body, this vessel that is meant to be your dwelling place...take it and break it. 

Take my eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands and feet. Take them and let me see, hear, perceive, talk and walk in the light of your love...take me and break me. 

Take my mind, thoughts, emotions, hopes and dreams...take them and break them. 

Take my insecurities, doubts and fears...take them and break them. 

Take every cell, tissue, bone, blood, organ and system in my body...take them and break them. 

When in life's journey I get weighed down, distracted and disconnected from you...take me and break me all over again. 

Take all that I am and hope to be, take me, break me, mould me and fill me up. 

My desire Lord is that you take me, break me and make me like only you can - a vessel fit for the master's use. 

Does God Give And Take Away?

It's easy for us to chant and sing about God's goodness until life deals us a heavy blow.

A friend recently told me about another friend of his that was killed by armed robbers. He was shot in the presence of his heavily pregnant wife and their two children. Now tell me what word of encouragement will be good enough to console this young widow? Do you console her by telling her that God gives and takes away? What kind of good God gives and then takes away? Do you tell her to thank God because her husband is in a better place? I'm sure she will ask you why God didn't send your husband to a better place instead of hers. What will she tell her child when he is born? 

Words wouldn't just do in the face of pain, loss, illness and challenges.

Oftentimes we console those who have suffered loss that 'God gives and takes away' and Pastors/Ministers even say this at funerals. 
It was Job who said this in Job 1:21 'the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord' when he suffered the loss of his children and property. 
This attitude of Job in the face of loss shows he is not a fair-weather believer which is great but that doesn't make him right - God doesn't give and then take away and Christ clearly explained this when he said in John 10:10 - "The thief cometh not but for to steal to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly".
The Apostle James aptly put it also when he wrote in James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming from the Father of heavenly light, who does not change like shifting shadows". 
Christ gives us life to the full and not in half measures and God does not change his mind after he blesses us. His gifts are not just good but are also perfect.

If you are like me, you may be tempted to ask why then do we suffer loss and pain? We must understand that while we are in the world we will suffer loss and experience pain and Christ reminded us of this when he said "I have told you these things that in me ye might have peace; on earth there will be tribulations but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world" John 16:33.

How we deal with pain and loss however is a different matter altogether and it determines what becomes of us when the 'storm' passes.

A wise man once touted that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and experience has proven this statement to be true - we are always better when the storm passes. 
I have learned also that trusting God in the face of pain is a way of demonstrating our faith in him.

Pain can help us lose every sense of self-reliance if we learn to depend on God for strength and may reveal to us the depth of his love.

You may be hurting now and may have questioned God's goodness and presence in the midst of your pain but you must understand that 'God is good' and this goodness isn't dependent on what he does or doesn't do - he 'IS' good, goodness is his nature. God is also faithful and wouldn't let you be tempted beyond what you can bear - he always provides a way for you to endure if you depend on him 1 Corinthians 10:13.

So whatever it is you are dealing with or may have to deal with in future remember the words of the great Apostle Paul to the Romans "and we know that in all things God works for the good of them that love him, who have been called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28. 
Know that pain is an inevitable part of living but it also stretches us and shows us inner strength that we never knew we possessed. Life was not meant to be lived without God - through good and bad times we need him.
The storm always passes, the tears always stops, your heart will heal, you will smile again and hopefully then you will be able to exclaim like Paul "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" Romans 8:37.

Dear Future Husband

My Love,

How are you? 

I ask this question knowing that I will get no response but I know someday soon when I ask, I will get a response from you. 

As I write this I have tears streaming down my face not because I'm a cry baby but because today I feel overwhelmed. There's just so much going on. 

I think about you sometimes and when I do, I pray for you.

I have searched for you my love amongst men of different tribes, through different races, skin colours, social and educational background.

I have met men that sounded and acted like you but time always proves they are not you as all they had to offer was sweet talk that only left me with mental diabetes. 

I have had promises made and broken, I have been here, there and everywhere in my search for you.

I realize now though that I have been busy playing God when I ought to just wait, trust and pray for you to find me.

But don't blame me, I have been told severally that I have to shine my eyes and be smart and so I tried to be smart. I have been told I would have to kiss a lot of frogs to find my Prince and God knows it's been an exercise in futility. I have learned now though that Frogs will be Frogs and Princes will be Princes and no amount of kissing will change a person's nature. So here I am, still waiting and praying.

Today I am writing to let you know that I'll wait for you.

I have loved and lost, I have given my time and expended my energy on men who did nothing to earn it and because they couldn't handle it, they abused it but from here on the search is over. 

Today I give it all to the Author of love because he is love and has written our story since the beginning of time. I give my will over and I surrender my desires. I have ended my dance with men and entered into his arms. I will waltz with him and learn at his feet because I know when the time is right, he will hand me to you and watch over us as we waltz through life and walk the path he designed for us.

Until then, I will keep learning about love, mercy and grace. I am learning to love the God kind of way - in spite of flaws and mistakes. I have started with myself and those around me and trust me it's hard but I am learning that it's possible.

I hope to love you faithfully with patience and see you through God's eyes 'an imperfect being like me who deserves grace when he strays'. 

The tears have stopped flowing and now I'm smiling...thoughts of you make me smile - a lot.

There's so much I have to say but I will stop here today and will hopefully write you again soon.

Till then I will reiterate that I will wait for you because when you come I'll know.

You will need me like flowers need the rain not because you are incomplete on your own but because I'm part of your destiny, a component of your chemistry, the bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh. 

Unlike the others you will love me in all my forms because God has put in you the ability and grace to love me as a husband should - like Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her. 

You will open my closet and when you realise that just like everyone else I too have got my skeletons, you will help me clean up and you will stay.

I pray for you everyday that God will teach you to honour him and surrender to his will. I pray that he prospers and favours you. I pray that in a world where there are over 6 billion people, you will know me when you see me.

I will write you again soon my darling.

Yours, 

Okiemute.

Waiting 90 Days Before Sex And Other Rules: Steve Harvey's Advice On Keeping A Man

I have seen the film adaptation of Steve Harvey's book 'Act like a lady, Think like a man' and not only was I entertained, the 'SUPER CUTE' actors were a delight to watch, oh how they made me gasp in excitement as I watched them deliver their roles.

I recently picked up the book and spent the last 3 days perusing it.
I am a woman and I may never understand how a man thinks so a man trying to give me insight into how men think aroused my curiosity.
I mean how can I 'think like a man' and still be able to 'act like a lady'? So I decided to read what Steve had to offer.

Steve offered great insights into how men think in relationships but I disagree with some of his advice and I will share my reasons with you.

Steve wrote about 'The 90 day rule'.
He advised that women wait 90 days and make a man work for it before giving him sex as a benefit of being in the relationship.
I don't know if that has worked for some people but I do know that if a man just wants sex, he will wait 10 years if need be - while probably sleeping with someone else -  and when he finally 'hits it', he will still run with a speed that will give Usain Bolt a run for his money.
Men reading this know it's true, some of you have waited 365 days and after you had sex, you disappeared so fast that even Willy Willy had nothing on you.

I think a man will stay with you only if he 'WANTS TO' whether you have sex with him or not. As such a lady ought to do what she wants for herself and not because she wants to keep a man.

Steve also wrote that men love sex so much and cannot live without it. He in fact stated that men connect in relationships by having sex. While this may be good information, I think he convinced me to think men are not only controlled by their primal nature, they will do anything for sex and price sex above anything else in a relationship.
I am not a man and so I wouldn't know if Steve is speaking for himself or for the generality of men but from relating with men, I do not quite agree with Steve on this.

Steve also advised that I ask a man about his relationship with God before committing to him because a man who has no relationship with God can't be trusted.

This one left me perplexed.

How can you advise me to find a man who has a relationship with God and still advise me to 'gbensh' after 90 Days - isn't that contradictory?
I am not here to judge but if we profess to FEAR God, we shouldn't make it seem like there's nothing wrong with fornicating.
If I 'do it' before marriage, I ought to acknowledge that it's a sin and seek God's forgiveness and grace.
We mustn't become so civilized that we decide to revise or edit God's word. He is merciful but his word will not change.
Sex before marriage is still a sin and not a prerequisite for a successful relationship.

In conclusion, I think the whole idea of thinking like a man may help me understand men but it defeats the  purpose of my being a woman especially in a society where women are required to be everything but themselves. I also think that this book kinda pits women against men as opponents instead of partners in a relationship.
Love is not war, it is not a fight.
I learned from the book and had some of my opinions reaffirmed but Steve also left me with some questions such as:
Can I think like a Man and retain my authentic self as a Woman? Are we saying that just being a Woman is not enough? If for instance I finally think like a man just to get a man, do I need to keep thinking like a man for the relationship to be sustained? If ladies succeed in thinking like men, who will fill the vacuum where the ladies once existed?
Lastly is my existence validated by my ability to 'get' a man?

I think it's best to let the knowledge of God's word guide you in your relationships after all it was he who looked and said 'it is not good for man to be alone, I'll make him an help-meet' which is why he CREATED the Woman.

What are your thoughts?

A Prophet And A Prostitute: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

I am a lover of love and romantic movies are my favorites. 

I have also read a great number of love stories and some of my favorites are from the Bible. 

The story of Abraham and Sarah, Queen Esther and King Ahasuerus, Ruth and Boaz are all time favorites but that of Jacob and Rachel was undisputably the best for me until today when I read a love story from the chronicles of the Old Testament - a story that is hardly ever told even though it depicts grace and love that is enduring, reckless and shameless.

This is the story of a Prophet and a Prostitute - Hosea and Gomer.

I am sure you are wondering how such a union can work and even I was taken aback when I tried to picture the scenario. I mean they are unequally yoked, obviously from different social strata, one 'Responsible, Respected, Godly and Of high standing' and the other 'Dirty, Unclean, Cheap, Irresponsible and a WHORE'.

Now let me tell you the story.

God had instructed the young Prophet Hosea to pick a Prostitute named Gomer as his wife because God wanted to demonstrate his everlasting and shameless love for his people through Hosea's marriage to a prostitute.

I imagine that Hosea had different plans for his life. He must have kept himself pure for his very special bride. A maiden whom other men may have tried to woo but couldn't get. She would be a beautiful woman of virtue. A role model for his daughters, a mentor for other girls, a Proverbs 31 woman and befitting of his status as a Prophet. She would be a solid 10.

Isn't God supposed to grant him his heart's desire? 

So why is he being instructed to marry a prostitute? How would he even approach her? On the street corner as she bargained with her customers? What can be Holy about such matrimony? 

Again I imagine Hosea thinking "Oh God this must be my mind playing tricks on me" but it was God who spoke.

Hosea obeyed God, went to seek Gomer and when he saw her, he fell in love with her. God put a passion in his heart for this prostitute and he loved her in a way that defied logic and common sense.

And so it was that Hosea married Gomer the prostitute.

He relocated her, brought her into a neighborhood that she previously wouldn't have been allowed into, gave her his name, bequeathed to her his property and gave her the benefit of his legacy.

Hosea made a lady out of a Prostitute.

All was well for a while until Gomer went back to her old ways. She committed adultery and when she bore children none of them looked like Hosea rather they looked like other men in the city. Hosea still loved and cared for them but one day he returned home and Gomer wasn't there. He thought it was her usual way of going out till late and he waited till late in the night hoping that she would return after she may have entertained her customers but she did not. 

He went out to the streets late in the night in search of his wife and when he saw her, she was dirty and lay naked on the slave table in the middle of town. Men jeered at her and poked her. A sale was going on and it was Gomer that was being auctioned to the highest bidder - what a shameful sight for a Prophet's wife. 

Hosea must have felt hurt and humiliated but his love was greater than what he felt and heard. As the Men jeered on, he reached into his pockets, emptied his purse and gave his all to reclaim his wife.

He loved her shamelessly beyond her past, forgave her present sins and even paid for her future. What a love!

I imagine Gomer must have drooped her head in shame and probably begged Hosea to let her be as she was unworthy of his love but while everyone including Gomer herself saw a prostitute, Hosea saw the one that made his heart beat, a woman who deserved his all and that was what he gave to her.

This is the story of a Prophet's shameless love that redeemed a Prostitute, proof that even broken hearts can give unbroken love.

It depicts the kind of love God has for us, a love that just wouldn't let go and it is to me THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD.

Sometimes You Have To Walk Away

There comes a time in life when we have to consciously, cautiously, calculatively and carefully do not just what feels good for us but what is right for us and the people we know.
Walking away may mean severing ties with people who once meant everything to us and may cost us seemingly valuable relationships but sometimes the hardest thing to do is the right thing to do.

This is usually never easy and you may have to make this decision more than once especially if you find yourself going back but know that your greatest test usually results in your greatest victory.
Walking away is never easy but this is what courage is about - being able to walk away from people, places, things, habits and thoughts that no longer serve any good.

Find the voice to say 'NO' even when you are not convinced, say it so much so that your mind begins to believe it. Remind yourself of all that is in store for you and before long you will find yourself saying 'YES' to the best.
When the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me', it meant EVERYTHING - emotions, feelings, habits, people, thoughts can all be defeated but you have to decide that it's possible because it is.

You therefore have to find the strength to walk away from the weight and sin that besets you so as to walk into God's will for your life.

True Friendships

As humans we are made for relationships and almost on a daily basis we form relationships while interacting with people. Some of these relationships will leave so much impact in our lives that we would be willing to risk anything to keep them. 
Sometimes because we treasure these relationships we displease some people and even ourselves just to keep them.There are situations when you know that a firm 'NO' is all you should say to people but you may end up saying 'YES' against your will - just to please. When this happens often then there is a problem because our principles and values are what make us as such we ought to always value principles over relationships. 
The goal of a relationship/friendship should be oneness and not sameness, it is about letting each party retain their authentic self instead of having them become what you want them to be. So when one repeatedly lets go of core values and principles in a bid to keep relationships or friendships, then one may lose their sense of self and become a slave to that relationship.
Relationships should change us in a way that we become the best version of ourselves and instead of fitting into the mould created by others. 
So while we strive to influence and be influenced by others the goal should be to make them better instead having them lose themselves and sacrificing their values to please us - this is the mark of true friendship.