Welcome to the High Table.

Show me an individual who is diligent with what he or she does and I will show you a personality who is ready to mingle with royalty and assume substantiality. This is because diligence drives prominence.

‘Have you seen a man who is diligent in his work, he shall stand before Kings and not ordinary men.’

Whether it's doing a menial job or accomplishing a million dollar task, the principle of diligence applies as a rule for elevation. Diligence is an accelerator; it breaks barrier and guarantees a seat with VIPs.  

To be diligent is to skillfully and steadily apply a lot of efforts or energy towards achieving a task or a goal. It is to be persistent with painstaking perseverance in reaching an objective.

Diligence is a value system which is subscribed to, and constantly reinforced by determination. Diligence is tough to practice especially where shoddiness, slothfulness and ordinariness rule.

Among many others, the enemies of diligence include procrastination, distraction and self-satisfaction.

To fight and conquer these enemies is to secure a seat at the top. For this fight, God should lead, and when He does, victory is sure. With victory, it’s Welcome to the High Table – a table where Kings, Queens and key decision makers in the events of life are seated.

‘Alternative Truth’ a.k.a Lying

One of the unwritten codes of life is ‘anything that is obtained through lying has to be kept through MORE and MORE lying’.

Unfortunately, when this trend continues unabated, lying becomes second-nature, destroying every iota of integrity and honor one might have. Oh! what is left of life when integrity, honor, respect and trust are all traded for ‘morsels of meat’ that lying attracts?

Lying, as some now prefer to call it ‘alternative truth’ or ‘occasional slip of tongue’, is like the offensive stench from a decaying product or the obnoxious smell that comes from the defensive spray of a Skunk. 

Great destinies are halted when lying (like many other ungodly vices) drives a habitually iniquitous lifestyle.

Liars are free to aspire for greatness and occasionally may occupy a great position by lying. The dilemma however is that their ‘alternative truth’ approach to life catches up with them sooner than imagined. Liars are generally a shame to behold after a while.

My humble plea - choose Truth and don’t seek an alternative to it. Deal with the seed of lie before it turns into an over-grown forest of regrets and pains. Come to the Cross quickly for a true rebirth; the Truth Himself is waiting with open arms. 

And remember, truth promotes and projects, falsehood demotes and devalues.

....................................................

#bornofGod ….whosoever is born of God does not sin…

Be Better Not Bitter

Bitterness, like someone said, is taking poison and thinking the other person will die from it. A subtle and silent destroyer, bitterness sickens and weakens in like manner as would be expected when the cells of a virulent pathogen is infused into the tissues of a healthy living being. 

Oh how one wishes that bitter people would stop their own ‘gradual annihilation’

                                                                                           

Bitterness is a product of untreated anger blended with pride and an attitude that does not forgive. Bitterness, when fully grown breeds wickedness. A bitter person, like an unbridled tongue, stops at nothing to cause harm.

Oh, how one prays that bitter people would desist from adding salt to the wounds we already experience in our world.

Bitter people have more enemies than friends. They are difficult to relate with and challenging to please. Unduly critical, fault-finding, separatist in their tendencies, bitter people are to be pitied because when they fall or fail, they are generally alone.

Oh how one cries that bitter people would see value in friendship, accept their own fallibility and cherish variance of opinion.

Bitter people mock grace; they find no reason why God should intervene in their ‘enemies’ situation. They waste their time and energy by constantly scheming and plotting of evil; their mind is filled with vengeful tactics.

Oh how bitter people should be reminded that God is kind, forgiving, gentle and compassionate.

It's been God...

  

The Rock & The Devil.

To be called ‘THE ROCK’ at one point and later be addressed as ‘THE DEVIL’ is almost an irony.

When the same individual who was once publicly celebrated for having a deep sense of correctness and insight on issues would later be scolded openly for misguided utterances and blatant misjudgments, then there is a missing link.

Oh Peter, Peter! Encomiums were poured lavishly on you at one point, how did you then lead yourself to this shameful ridicule where you were referred to as THE DEVIL? Why could you not sustain your identity? Why would you be on board today and the next day, you were overboard? What is missing in your life Peter?

When the one who should help to advance the course of our vision becomes the one who wants to stand against it, then it’s time to address them differently.

Oh Peter! When did you become the mouthpiece of the opposition? Why place your zeal in the way of the Master’s Will?

Sometimes good people would express bad intentions about our mission. We must stay focused and prayerfully rebuke every ‘undertone’ that is at work. We are too close to our Canaan than to allow the voices of the Peters in our life to sap our energy.

As men on a mission, we must keep watch over our assignment; be thankful to and respectful of everyone supporting us in its accomplishment. However, we must never be afraid to resist any ideology that threatens to truncate our next level. If left on unaddressed, the voices of the Peters would weaken our resolve and potentially distract us.

Welcome or Go Away

There is nothing as disappointing as arriving elegantly at a place where you are not welcomed. 

To have put in a lot into getting ready for a great occasion and upon arriving at the event to be told sorry, there is no place for you is disheartening.

Unfortunately, this will be the fate of some when it is all said and done. Some folks, rather than receiving a rousing welcome, will be shocked with the verdict ‘go away from me.’ Guys, who would have put their time and God-given resources to the wrong agenda, will be utterly disgraced and embarrassed at the end of time.

Whao! With all the earthly accolades, recognition, achievements and laurels, heaven would still require more to book a room? Yes, elevation does not necessarily guarantee celebration. That one has achieved many feats here is no automatic passport that a red carpet will be laid over there.

An unflinching commitment to a daily lifestyle of righteousness under the guidance of God, the giver of grace, is the key to ending our journey well and securing a seat at the Grand Banquet with God.

This week – the Passion Week as it is referred to, presents an opportunity for self-reflection. Could I be on a journey to nowhere? Am I charting a course that would earn eternal condemnation? Will this lifestyle secure a place for me with God afterwards? These and many other self-check questions would help steer our life in the right direction.

Friends, again when the curtain is finally drawn and this drama called ‘life on earth’ eventually ends, it’s either a welcome (good and faithful servant) or a go away from me (workers of iniquity) that will be uttered by God. Each utterance will have eternal consequences. The choice is ours today whether we want to be welcomed or sent away.

Let’s Be Clear

In the absence of clarity, ambiguity rules; looking does not necessarily guarantee seeing.

Not knowing where you are going and wanting to blame everyone for not getting there is foolhardy.

There is a unique call on your life; something definite you are here for. Settle down today to find it. Pay every required price to develop and live it. Be humble, ready to learn and willing to be misunderstood.

Stop the Molue (bandwagon) approach to life. That everyone is in it does not mean you should get on-board. Your assignment is so special; you also cannot uncover it through an Eeny Meeny Miney Mo (random and luck-based) process. Christ is the revealer of all things and there is clarity in Him.

The clock is ticking, and ticking very fast. The Master is watching, annals are being prepared, and a great banquet is underway for achievers of their mission.

It’s time to be clear why another day matters in the achievement of our reasons for being here on earth. 

Exposure and Composure.

I have come to understand that to the open-minded, everyday is an opportunity to learn something new. To the close-minded however, the lessons of life have already been learnt - there is really nothing new under the heavens.

Those who have experienced and survived the vicissitude of certain life-defining circumstances, received and enjoyed certain rare and unmerited privileges and most importantly encountered and genuinely submitted to God, behave differently; they are unassuming, selfless and considerate.

On the other hand, those worldviews are self-constructed, who stand on the walls of nothingness, wear the garbs of emptiness and interact extensively with shallowness are typically arrogant, self-conceited and judgmental. They hastily generalize on things, situations and people they know very little about. In almost all cases, they end up being wrong. Sad enough, they really do not care as they consider themselves right in their mind; always.

As its commonly said that 'looking is not the same as seeing', exposure helps with seeing, and seeing the core of issues before coming to conclusions about them.

I choose to be exposed so I can compose myself rightly. I choose to be open-minded so I can learn the unlearnt lessons needed for my greatness. I choose to maintain my continuous enrollment in the school of life, a school without graduation. 

Her Excellencies...

Oh Sleep; But Why?

Dear Sleep,

Please consider this letter as a notice of an immediate downgrade of our relationship from close friends to mere acquaintances. By mere acquaintances, I mean going forward, I can only hang out with you for a maximum of six hours every day.

As close friends, we would spend up to twelve hours non-stop in each other’s company and I would often entertain you with melodious tunes of various musical keys a.k.a snoring. Effective immediately, I am putting an end to all these types of renditions.

Sleep! You have really fallen my hands (disappointed me). I befriended you but you betrayed me. I had plans to be great but you succeeded in making me a mediocre.

The books I could have written, the strategies I could have crafted, the prayers I could I have said – you denied me all these opportunities and kept me stuck to my bed every night and on most mornings and afternoons.

Is this what friends do to each other?

Well, I know I still need you around but as I have earlier stated, I’m sorry, we can only continue as acquaintances and not close friends anymore.

Thank you and best wishes.

Signed

The Man With A Future

Bible Study Time

Don’t Rush to Market

We are in the days where great ideas are being birthed (reference Joel 2:28). Whether or not these ideas (visions, dreams etc.) will make it to market and stay in the market successfully is a different issue.

To provide some background and clarity, consider the formula: Invention + Commercialization = Innovation.

Invention represents God-inspired ideas; these could be about writing a book, establishing a business, setting up a project, improving a process etc. Commercialization is when the ideas are packaged properly and exchanged appropriately for reward e.g. monetary values. A good idea when commercialized or taken to market becomes an innovation.

Today, our existence rests on the innovations of several men and women around the world, most of whom, were once caged in obscurity but through their tenacity and dexterity broke the chain of servility to become celebrities.

These were men and women who nurtured their ideas well and commercialized them at the appropriate time ensuring they were not too early or too late to the marketplace. Suffice to say therefore that every idea has its particular time.

On the one hand, a good idea when successfully matched to the needs and rewards available in the marketplace in a timely manner can revolutionize the world.  One has to only consider how mobile phones, for example, now incorporate countless functionality into one gadget and are changing how we work, bank, buy, talk, socialize, rest and do most things.

On the other hand, a good idea when rushed to market can result in utter failure; the idea can also be stolen as markets are generally synonymous with idea thieves – pirates, plagiarizers and modifiers, who pay no tributes to the idea owners.

Ideas are God’s investment in us; they should be protected and managed well. The giver of the idea should not be excluded at any time from the execution and commercialization of the idea. The core of the idea i.e. intellectual property as pundits would like to call it should be preserved. A few extra bucks spent in obtaining exclusive rights to ones God’s inspired concept could keep idea marauders at bay.

Again, we are seeing an outpouring of great ideas as divinely programmed. From coast to coast and from the stables of the schooled and the unschooled, mighty thoughts are ensuing which are meant to profit our world.

It’s time to deploy a sound go-to-market strategy in exploiting the benefits of our God-given ideas; one that would not rush half-baked and ill-timed concepts to the market; one that would put God, the source of all ideas at the center of all Invention, Commercialization and Innovation processes.

Princesses at Work

Mary's MESc Graduation from 2015

Presentation of Mary's Masters of Engineering Science Award in 2015 by the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.

From 2015 Christmas Party

Merry Christmas Song_Throwback

Strained, Trained and Framed

JES:  "This is too much to bear.  These weights are killing me. You mean I have to go through this excruciating experience just to build bigger Biceps."

GODY: "This is a different championship and we have to train differently to stand a chance at winning the top prize. You are training your entire mind and not just developing new Biceps. Persevere JES, persevere my Champion."

JES: "Oh noooo! You always have the right words to get me. Well, I’ll tell you how I’m feeling now – I feel like crap; I feel like doing this my own way and at my own pace. But, as we have worked together on a number of successful championships, you have me GODY. Let’s get to business."

…………………………………………………………

Both Jes and Gody went on to train so hard and like you can imagine, Jes won the Championship. He also won many other Championships afterward. Today, he holds the Undisputed Title of the Super Heavyweight Champion with an impeccable record of 777-0-0; 777 knockout wins, zero losses and zero draws.

…………………………………………………………

Friends; Jesus agreed with God to go through the pain of the cross; how about we also agree with God to go through our day-to-day challenges that strain us to the point of giving up.

We have a dependable trainer in God; His objective is not to break us but to strengthen our mind and spirit so we can be framed for His glory.

A Letter to Comrade Ahabi

Dear Comrade Ahabi,

I have some doubt about this ‘fight’ you are pulling me into. In particular, you have not really explained to me why it makes sense to fight ‘now’ and fight this ‘enemy’ of yours.

I respect our friendship and pledge my commitment to helping you.  However, you are asking me to join you in harming someone I see no reason why you or we should harm.

I certainly owe you one but I will be backing out of this one fight. I cannot lose my reputation and life because of your ego. Whatever beef you have with Ramot, please find a way to sort things out. Fighting is not always the best option.

Please accept my utmost regards and if you so wish, you may let me know what you eventually decide on.

Your Fellow Comrade,

Jehosha

…………………………………………………………………………………..

Friends, BE WISE! Not every invitation to ‘fight’ makes sense. Pick and choose your battles. Refuse to be dragged into every mess that others create; let them clean their own mess rather than you losing your reputation.

Don’t fight blind; your life is at stake. Refuse to be recruited as a messenger of hatred, wickedness and abuse. Life is precious; it should be lived sensibly.

Iya Tasty Comes to CANADA

A Road To Nowhere

He forced his way in twenty two years ago; things have not necessarily been working; he would however still want everyone to stick with him on this road to nowhere.

This is the story of Mr. Jammeh, a Gambian ‘leader’ who is currently working assiduously to thwart the result of the recent Presidential election in which he lost.

Voices of reasoning from the West African sub-region, the African continent and the world at large have advised him otherwise; the man would not listen. He has decided to take the Alagidi (refractory) path. He would not learn from history.

Members of his cabinets are deserting him; his under-two-million citizens are fleeing to neighboring nations; the odds are fully against him. The man would sit tight, unperturbed.

How long more can pomposity drive insanity? If it doesn’t make sense, shouldn't it be stopped?

Well, here is my conclusion from this show of absurdity - some people just don’t learn from history until they encounter misery.

Playing deaf and dumb to a potential tragedy, especially when it involves the lives of others, is sheer wickedness.

The clocks are ticking; the newly elected leader is ready; the world is waiting for the ‘construction’ of another road that will possibly lead to somewhere in the Gambia.

God bless the Gambia, God bless the World.

What Fathers Do

Haughty by Nature, Humbled by Scars

A group of scientists had gone on an expedition in search of a rare species of butterfly. Led by Leah, a forty-year veteran entomologist who nobody could correct, she had asked their local guides to step back as she steered the group into uncharted territories.

Wearing her regular garb of ‘I know it all, I have seen it all’, she pocketed the Magellan GPS for the group and ignored the map direction as she paced deeper into the forest.

In about twenty minutes into her self-directed adventure, it became clear that the group was lost. Characteristically haughty by nature, she refused to retract, giving an ‘all is well’ gesture to her team.

From nowhere and in a split second, a large Baboon cornered Leah. Swinging between two tree branches; simultaneously slapped and scratched her face with its claws. Before the group could say Jack Robinson; they were right in the middle of a troop of fiercely-looking Baboons. Except for the intervention of the local guides who, despite being asked to go back, still followed the group quietly, they would have all been badly attacked by the Baboons.

The group returned back to base and Leah although treated, carried two deep and indelible scars on her face for the rest of her life. For putting the group at risk, a new group leader was chosen and Leah demoted.

Like Leah, we could single-handedly destroy our opportunities and usefulness if we consistently live a life of pride.

Haughtiness drives worthlessness and pride closes the door to wisdom and learning.

No matter what we know or have seen in life, there are people who know or have seen more. These may be individuals who are less educated or privileged than we are; however, they may be the guide we need for our next level. They may be familiar with the terrain that we are struggling to navigate. Commonsense requires we humbly engage them in advancing the course of our assignment.

Life is a teacher; Leah learnt humility the hard way - the Baboon slap, the scars, her demotion all remained constant reminders that haughtiness is wastefulness.

Rather than be haughty by nature and have to deal with regrets, it’s wise to adopt a nothing by nature approach – simple, sensible and submissive approach.

The Parable of the ‘Policeman’

Years ago, I was part of an interdenominational faith group that committed to outreaches in local communities. One of our fiery and ‘no-nonsense’ leaders had declared that the whole group embarks on a week-long prayer and fasting for empowerment and spiritual rejuvenation.

On what would be the second day of the exercise, I together with another friend, decided we were taking that day off and skipping the fasting. Hence, we dashed into a local eatery in an obscure place, close to where we were having our state-wide event.

Just while we tucked our heads into the main door of the eatery, guess who we saw? – Our fiery and ‘always perfect’ leader. He was seated comfortably with a mighty portion of cassava meal and vegetable soup garnished by assorted meats on his table.

You could imagine his reaction when he saw us – alarmed, to say the least. His right hand shacking profusely and the morsel of cassava meal he held tightly almost dropping back into the bowl of soup, he struggled to say ‘praise the Lord’.

Standards are great; they help us to live higher than our individualized opinion of what is right. One core element of standards however is impartiality. Meaning, if it’s good for the geese, it should be good for the gander.

It’s sheer hypocrisy to hold others to standards that we would blatantly flout. There is no point policing others while we remain ungovernable.

If we would be quick to haul stones at others at their slightest crossing of the lines, then we better be saints ourselves – perfect and ever-right. Otherwise, we should expect projectiles of rocks and boulders in our direction.

Not to say that all policemen don’t comply with standards and rules; the point here is once we take on that noble assignment of enforcing standards, they must be realistic standards and we must also be ready to live by the core principles of those standards.

We cannot make ourselves standards for things that we would not live by.

#blessed2017

Toronto Raptors - We The North

Big Task, Big Rank

It’s been proven severally that there is a strong correlation between input and output. What goes into a process has been empirically and theoretically shown to determine what comes out as product.

Our life is likened to a process, the type of opportunities, assignments or tasks we commit ourselves to will ultimately determine the position, rewards and ranks we receive afterwards.

Task is a differentiator.

David, a shepherd, went after the number one enemy of Israel and that opened the door for him to start mingling with royalty. Eventually, by divine orchestration, he ascended into the number one role in the nation as the Commander–in-Chief of the Army of Israel.

Taking stretch assignment is one of the ways to create visibility and build credibility.

Those who are comfortable with doing little end up having little. On the other hand, those who stretch themselves to do seemingly difficult tasks build the strength and the character necessary to do more in life.

Solving minor problems confine one to a Minor; tackling major challenges enlist one as a Major in the affairs of life.

As children of a Big God, we have the DNA to handle big things and rank big in all of our endeavors.   

Bible Study Session

It’s them not me!

A few years ago while in a banking hall, a middle-aged man staggered in. Full of stench, apparently from excessive alcohol consumption, his first question was ‘what is smelling here’

What else could possibly be smelling! I muted to myself.

A sight to behold and be disturbed, several eyes were on him as he completed his transaction and approached the main entrance of the branch. It was a hallelujah moment, when the automatic door of the banking hall eventually shut behind him. You could almost hear simultaneous breathes of sigh of relief from most people that were still around.

As you can imagine, it took several minutes of spraying strong air fresheners and odor neutralizers to normalize the air quality afterwards.

Like this middle-aged man, there are individuals who regularly look outside of themselves for what is going wrong with them. To these group of people, everything and everyone but themselves is the reason for their troubles.

Rather than own up to their wrong decisions and humbly retrace their steps, there are men and women who allow their ego and ignorance run their life out of beauty. While constantly refusing to take responsibilities for their life and actions, they love the blame game. They are saints and others around them are sinners. They wait for everyone and everything else to change but themselves.

‘They just don’t like me’, ‘they are all coming back to apologize to me’, ‘I’m gonna surprise them big time’. These are some of their common verbiages.

For several unrelated persons to be saying or acting the same ‘bad’ way towards an individual is a sign that that individual may actually have a bad character. If there is correlation, it may mean there is confirmation.

People who don’t know each other would not just gather to start acting funny and unfriendly towards a person; more often than not, that person may just be full of stench and that is why he/she has suddenly become the center of attention.

With individuality come responsibility; Taking ownership of one’s situation and regularly engaging in self-assessments that ultimately drive real transformation is key to living a purposeful life.

It's time to stop passing the buck.

#it’s not them.

Sorry, we are not coming to your party

Growing up in Lagos, Africa's largest city, I experienced what parties are – I mean real parties. Parties where roads are blocked, various musicians are playing simultaneously and there are a lot of guests – uninvited ones often exceeding those invited.

Typically, there is a lot to eat and drink and the option to take away is often possible.

If it’s not marriage, it’s birthday and if it’s not celebration of life, it’s housewarming. Every weekend, there is just some form of event to keep the music blaring and the people eating somewhere close to you.

Of course, circumstances have changed and new economic realities have taught people to cut their coats according to their cloth, notwithstanding, there are still individuals who hang on to the culture of enjoyment unlimited and keep real parties alive.

Comparing this to another form of party where there is often only one person in attendance and no food or drink to go round presents a sharp contrast. A party of regrets, sharing of miseries and ‘I won’t let it go’ is certainly in-congruent with the Owambe (fun-filled) gatherings I have seen before.

Pity party is no party; an instance of indulging in self-pity or eliciting pity from other people is unappealing.

For clarity, the agenda at most pity parties include: stay at one spot (physically, emotionally or psychologically), maintain an unkempt outlook, play songs with lonely lyrics and occasionally munch on junk foods like ice cream, cookies and candies.

Common! Seriously, this is a party? Yes! It’s called pity party.

Nobody loves to sit around whiners rather they go to winners. It’s therefore no surprise that pity parties don’t attract the desired guests.

While deeply respectful of the experience of true grief and hoping that those who are going through moments of despair following the loss of someone dear to them are ably supported through their healing process, I would reckon that grief heals, pity-party does not.

Life is progressive, sitting still and waiting for someone to show up at your ‘woe is me’, ‘I can’t rise again’ festivity may be an endless wait.  Indeed, there are a lot of empathetic people around but unfortunately nobody really wants to be drawn into solitude and cycles of unending complaints and negativity.

Rise up, clean up and move on. Life has more to offer as long as you look on its bright side.

Call the designer of life and at least there will be two of you to start a new, hope-filled kind of partying. God holds the key to joy and peace. Send an invite to him today; he will show up at your party if no one else does.

Santa, Chookies & Play!

The value of N: Owing vs OwNing

Letter N is not your popular ‘A’ or ‘Z’ letters of the 26 English alphabets. However, it has some popularity (or value if you like) in the finance world – both at personal and corporate levels.

The difference in the spellings of OWING and OWNING is the letter N. A single letter that can determine how healthy and wealthy an individual or an organization is, per given time.

Inconsequential as it may appear, Letter N can change the outcome of several key balance sheet ratios like working capital, leverage and capitalization. It can also determine who the banks treat better than others. 

To owe is to be liable AND to own is to be capable. Owing relates to LIABILITY and Owning, to ASSET. More assets than liability increases the net worth of an individual or an organization.

Not to get into the liability creates asset discourse; paying more attention to the Letter N sounds like the path towards riches and self-sustenance.

Do more; be more!

A story was told of how two individuals having similar circumstances and abilities were given equal opportunity and responsibility; one excelled while the other failed.

For the responsibility, the intention of their manager was for both individuals to excel. However each had to meet the laid-down standards and requirements to excel. It was not a contest; both could have been given same reward based on their performance and results.

In fulfilling the responsibility, the individual who excelled (AA), deployed excellence, matched every process of the responsibility to the expectation of their manager and ultimately put up a brilliant outing.  BB, the individual who failed, did the contrary.

Shortly after the result was declared, BB became intolerant of AA and eventually engaged AA in a fight. During the squabble, BB had charged violently at AA and in utter amazement, AA watched as BB threw caution into the air and became verbally and physically aggressive.

CC, their manager, later became aware of the incident and was utterly disappointed in BB. BB was fired, never to take up similar opportunity or responsibility again. AA was promoted and later became a role model and peer mentor to thousands of individuals in the same line of endeavor.

At least three lessons are learnt from this story!

• Attitude Matters – Laggards and wasters of opportunities will eventually be demoted.
• Rewards are real; men and women who have done well deserve to be recognized.
• Standards are not often lowered. We should push ourselves to excel no matter the obstacles.

To be more in life, it’s time to do more. 

Volunteerism Pays

Receiving the 2016 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards Pin from Yvan Baker, MPP Etobicoke Centre.