ARE YOUR STEPS OF THE GOOD PERSON IS ORDERED BY THE LORD
A TV evangelist I listened to a while ago said that God is the opposite to how a satnav works. It will direct you all the way, step by step. But with God, we don’t audibly hear His directions all the way. He points the way to go and we are left to trust that whatever steps we make is right. This calls for our trusting God. Every book we are writing is an unknown until it is finished and published. Looking back at leaving Nigeria 21 years ago to come to the UK, I ask myself if I am a risk taker. Did I place my faith in luck or God? Was I aware of the scripture above? Certainly not as I do now! God loves people who take bold actions and take the plunge in faith. People were surprised when I came over to the UK in Jan 2003 leaving my family behind. My two youngest were 5 and 7 and the other three were in secondary school. I had no promise of a job, a home of my own or when my family would join me. I had stepped out knowing that God would sort it all out. By June 2004, my family joined me in the UK, by God’s grace!! As writers, we shouldn’t let fear keep us in the boat but like Apostle Peter reach out boldly to whatever God has called us to do in our writing carers. Doors will open to miracles and accomplishment of dreams! Can you take risks in your writing, try that genre you can’t venture into or start a writing group? I urge you to step out of that boat and follow the calling of the Lord in spite of the waves! I prophesy the next step and level in your writing career, more reviews, more books and great inspiration by God’s grace. We trigger God’s favour and blessings when we apply the principle of faith in our writing. When I took the step to write NaNoWriMo in Nov 22, God liked it and in 2 weeks, I completed a 50,000 words novel: Prophetess! My prayer for you all is that God will continue to order your steps and you shall eat the fruit of your labour. May He bless you mentally, emotionally, physically, financially and whatever your needs are. May we all soar in our writing careers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
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ACW MAIDEN POST!!
This is my maiden post on getting the go ahead to join the blessed team of More Than Writers in August. When I thought about what to write, I picked on the advice I had gotten from one of the ACW sessions I had attended in July 2020 that no writing should ever go to waste. Just Like our Heavenly Father took a part of Adams rib to create Eve, his wife, it made me think of every part of the human anatomy – no matter how minuscule or large, the Lord God found some use and purpose for their role in the human body. NOTHING IS WASTED. So, welcome to my ‘NOTHING IS WASTED SERIES,’ in which my first episode springs from a writing task I took part in. We were all asked to engage in a ‘freewheeling’ exercise. The topic was ‘Creating amidst Chaos’ - about God’s creation and creativity. He created a magnificent world in the midst of chaos! That tells me that like our Father, we must continue to be creative no matter the ‘chaos’ we are in. Beauty will come out of ashes. Below is that writing exercise raw and undiluted! Just letting my thoughts fly anywhere to no purposeful destination in subject matter is amazing. There is no stopping – just like the invisible wind freely blowing in any direction. As I freely write, I become conscious of my mind – is it empty? What is in there? There is no time to pause or think – my writing like the wind is just blowing whither it wants, not caring about rubbish, mistakes, common sense or not, beauty or not – or like the chaos we have talked today. Well, just as the wind carries up dust particles, objects and anything in its wake so goes my writing in this page picking up anything that my mind throws at it as it scribbles on. The wind gets fast, busy, cold or even hot and sometimes even dangerous. I can think of times when I have felt the teeth of the wind on my skin and inside my nose – These were not pleasant. How about when the wind is still and absent? I felt hot and uncomfortable. And then I remembered those times when the wind was beautiful to feel on my entire body. I thought about the majesty of Abba my Father in Heaven and blew him invisible kisses for sending such feelings of love from the wind caressing my entire being and making my soul at one with Him. At that moment, there was definitely satisfaction, contentment, peace and the feeling to fly and be carried away or to ride with the wind to wherever it would take me!! TESTIMONY TIME!!
#TestimonyTime On October 21st, which was a Saturday, we hosted an author event to celebrate Black History Month in Abbey Wood Library in South East London. Chidi came from the Midlands, Bisi from Kent and Tinuke and I came from South East. We formed a WhatsApp platform to rub our minds together. Closer to the date, we got together in a zoom to know ourselves better and put the finishing touches that would lead to the success of the event, such as who and how we would take charge of Prayers, Photography, Timing, MC, Quiz, Refreshments, Order of events in the program and arranging the hall. We prayed for good weather, attendees, library staff and event success. We came in to the Library to set up two hours before the event. We each had tables that we personalised to suit our book themes and our backgrounds. We arranged the chairs and we took photographs .The event began with Tinuke praying and introducing Black History. We found out that our audience did not know where, why and what year Black History had started or why it is celebrated in October in the UK but February, in the US. The audience was engrossed and engaged and found the quiz session sensational. I have put a few below to give you a run. See how many you know without Google’s help! God was so faithful. The event had begun at exactly at 2pm. Even though it was a rainy afternoon, every seat was filled up by 2.15pm. By 4pm, we had covered the steps of refreshment, author’s presentations, plenary, photographs and sales. God was so good and I felt so grateful because many people had phoned to give their apology for their absence. If all our guests had turned up, there would have been no room to contain them! God went ahead and brought the right number of people in. Thirty. They graced our tables, picked our books, got them signed and we all made fair sales. At the time, I had an annoying cough and worried that I would lose my voice, get ill or even cough during my presentation. God took control and none of my fears was realised! Everyone testified that it was a huge success! The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16b KJV I testify God’s goodness and faithful! He caused us to rejoice, to have success and experience love! Here are some Black History quiz questions. Answers provided by day’s end! Let me know below how many you know [without Google}:
#Testimony #Prayer #AuthorEvent #ACW #Iamwriting #Quiz PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS!
We all love to hear good news! Its bring excitement and joy and in most cases could be life changing like in the cases of a new baby, a new career, a job promotion, a long expected healing or even a new published book! I bring you all the good news of my new book ‘The Captive’s Crown’ which came out on Amazon last night. One week early!! [ It reminds me of a premature baby]. I thank God and I am so grateful to Liz Carter for making the publishing on Amazon possible. I recently thought of the Easter story. Our Lord Jesus Himself had asked his followers to go and proclaim the Good News of His resurrection and that He was the way to the Father through faith in Him, our Lord Jesus. This was going to be done by word of mouth with the Holy Spirit’s help. In our generation, however, I thank God there are so many communication channels. It took angels, shepherds, a star, the three wise men and John the Baptist to proclaim the Good News of the Messiah. As writers, how would our Lord love us to proclaim the gift He has given us? Or the books He has enabled us to write for the benefit of the world? I wonder why I felt afraid to tell the world about my new book. It took some nerves to put it out there on Facebook! It is now available on line! Today also marks the anniversary of ‘Stories from the Heart’. I looked at its progress in terms of reviews and sales and I remembered to thank God. He says, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances.’ 1 Thessalonica 5:18. I also remembered the wisdom to appreciate little beginnings. So, today, I want to encourage us to be bold about our talents and let God know how grateful, proud and privileged we are to be proclaiming good news, no what form this might take. Let us also appreciate each other’s talents by ‘going to tell it on the mountains, the hills and everywhere!’ Some of us are already very good at supporting others but some people still struggle with proclaiming the good news of a newly published book. Some of us too find it so uncomfortable to request for support via reviews. I would like to know below if you are the type that is confident in sharing the good news of your published book and how you canvass for its reviews. Also, I would appreciate if you could share how you link your MTW posts directly to your blog! That’s a good way of proclaiming the good news of your book! Blessings!! To understand success in marriage is to firstly understand the concept of love and sacrifice. Many people marry for convenience, pressure, lust, compatibility, selfish desires and duty. Before you get married, purpose it on your mind to not compare your spouse to be like your parents or anyone else. The feelings of like and love are similar but the difference is that LOVE forgives a multitude of sins – 1 Corinthians 13:5 and will stand stronger in the storms of life. Learn to accept that no one is perfect and that both of you can’t have it all, in terms of your wishes, wants and desires in a spouse. Desire the gift of marriage even when there is no one in your life. Learn to consciously remember what the scriptures say about God granting you the desires of your heart –Psalm 37:4. And always remember that there is an enemy [the devil] who can take various ways, forms etc to bring you down. The devil is looking for whom to destroy. 1 Peter 5:8 Work on your weaknesses. Samson was listening to strange women and they brought him down. David lusted after women in heart and flesh. It got him down. Miriam was envious of Moses and it got her down. Hannah’s co wife, Penninah, was boastful towards Hannah. None of her children was chosen by God. Those who murmured against a prophet of God got killed. Eve and Adam disobeyed God and lost paradise .Some people do not follow in the good steps of their parents patterned for them – Samuel‘s sons in the bible, unlike their father were wayward. Both David and Solomon also had wayward children. These are few biblical examples. Also, Queen Asheri didn’t honour her husband and lost her throne and place as wife to the king, in the story of Queen Esther in the Bible. In our present times today, the major reason why many marriages fail, right from the beginning is the sin of pride. This can come in the form of lacking humility before a spouse. Does a spouse talk down to the other? Does a spouse deliberately ignore the needs of the other? Or does a spouse indirectly show disrespect through the way relatives and family members are treated? Does a spouse continually disregard the personal space of the other? Does a spouse look down on the other’s career, weaknesses or disability? All these and more are labelled offence in the bible –Luke 17:1 because they are ways that tempt a spouse to sin by causing marital conflict. Also, remember that it takes two to quarrel. Purpose it consciously in your heart, body, soul and mind that you will always be a person of peace. Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called children of God - Matthew 5:9. This means loving peace and hating conflict. It means you are ready to forgive , even when you are the victim or the offended party. It means you are willing to be humble enough to say ‘ sorry’, when you are the offending spouse or be ready to say ‘I’m sorry’ for the sake of peace, even when you are the innocent spouse. Understanding the concept of peace, unity, sacrifice and love is wisdom. Wisdom is Key. Proverbs 4:7. Of course, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom –Proverbs 9:10. So having the fear of God will enable a couple ensure that the foundation of their marriage is based on God’s Rock – Jesus. 1Corinthinss 3:11 and Deuteronomy32:4. Talking about Jesus here is the best example because He is the epitome of love and sacrifice. Can a spouse give up or sacrifice something like denying themselves their pleasure, comfort, time, convenience or their leisure, for examples, to grant the need of their spouse? This is where sacrifice comes in. It is tied to love. See I Corinthians 13. It is all about love and sacrifice. It is what LOVE is really about. Are you read to sacrifice? Then you can love!! PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS!
We all love to hear good news! Its bring excitement and joy and in most cases could be life changing like in the cases of a new baby, a new career, a job promotion, a long expected healing or even a new published book! I bring you all the good news of my new book ‘The Captive’s Crown’ which came out on Amazon last night. One week early!! [ It reminds me of a premature baby]. I thank God and I am so grateful to Liz Carter for making the publishing on Amazon possible. I recently thought of the Easter story. Our Lord Jesus Himself had asked his followers to go and proclaim the Good News of His resurrection and that He was the way to the Father through faith in Him, our Lord Jesus. This was going to be done by word of mouth with the Holy Spirit’s help. In our generation, however, I thank God there are so many communication channels. It took angels, shepherds, a star, the three wise men and John the Baptist to proclaim the Good News of the Messiah. As writers, how would our Lord love us to proclaim the gift He has given us? Or the books He has enabled us to write for the benefit of the world? I wonder why I felt afraid to tell the world about my new book. It took some nerves to put it out there on Facebook! It is now available on line! Today also marks the anniversary of ‘Stories from the Heart’. I looked at its progress in terms of reviews and sales and I remembered to thank God. He says, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances.’ 1 Thessalonica 5:18. I also remembered the wisdom to appreciate little beginnings. So, today, I want to encourage us to be bold about our talents and let God know how grateful, proud and privileged we are to be proclaiming good news, no what form this might take. Let us also appreciate each other’s talents by ‘going to tell it on the mountains, the hills and everywhere!’ Some of us are already very good at supporting others but some people still struggle with proclaiming the good news of a newly published book. Some of us too find it so uncomfortable to request for support via reviews. I would like to know below if you are the type that is confident in sharing the good news of your published book and how you canvass for its reviews. Also, I would appreciate if you could share how you link your MTW posts directly to your blog! That’s a good way of proclaiming the good news of your book! Blessings!! WILDERNESS
We were here Here to gather Our first fruits together. Together we wandered in disaster, Disaster made a scatter, Plunging into our harvest and Reaping our fruits of labour. We have wandered for years Yearning, desiring and toiling in tears. In pain, sorrow, our years Grow on our tiredness And desperation plunders our hopelessness. When is God’s time? We ask as years pass in time! We know He sees and hears our prayers. But how long can we bear The wilderness of a barren womb? STORMS IN WRITING!
I discovered a piece of writing that I had crafted in response to Liz Carter’s post at some point in time, probably about a year ago! I believe I never posted it or did I? She wrote about the dark side of her health and its effects on her life as a writer, while holding on to God and leaning on His joy to strengthen her! Do not ask me for the date. I unfortunately don’t know and I also then did not know how to find the blog post!!! I have come a long way, I tell you! But re-reading through my response again, I realise that there is something which could serve as food for thought for us all as writers. We could experience storms in various degrees in every stage of our writing: from getting the idea, making a start, completing the chapters, arriving at the last full stop to signify finish and then moving on to publishing and marketing. So there are ‘sale storms’, ‘review storms’, etc well, welcome to EPISODE 2 of my ‘NOTHING IS WASTED’ series below! I found this really striking that your life is so carefully structured. It made me ponder about my own way of life – very opposite to yours. I asked myself, ‘if chaos ever came to my scene, would I use writing as a way of escape? Your post has given me food for thought – a storm can happen anytime in our lives and the world we live in and will we remember to call Lord Jesus in to our boat? Or to wake Him if it appears He is asleep with a rebuke – “Care Ye not we perish?” The PEACE of God
Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded His angels concerning us to guard us in all our ways. Even our toileting without stress is the blessing of peace. Talking about God’s peace reminds me of another scripture where God says His blessings enriches and add no sorrow. Proverbs 10:22. We have the peace of God when we realise that He has given us all we need, prepared us for the lives we each live and has equipped us for the challenges of life. Psalm 23 says, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack’. Best of us all, He has given us the armour to stand against the wiles of the enemy through His Word and so, we shall live and not die but declare the glory of God. Psalm 118:17. Even if the world around you crashes, God will give you His peace. Psalm 91. This week, remember the thoughts of Peace the Lord our God has towards you in every aspect of your life. Let this give you all hope, dear sisters in Christ. I pray that the PEACE of God that passeth all understanding shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. AMEN. Philippians 4:7. This will be the portion of our families and loved ones too. Amen. Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Jehovah, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you hope in your latter end. Thank You Papa God that the thoughts and plans You have for us are for Peace and good, not evil. This season, we will choose to align ourselves with the leading of Your Holy Spirit and we will see peace and goodness in our lives. Amen. There is a song that goes: ‘Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer…’ This tells us that whatever our focus or theme is on this forum, prayer is vital. Peace in world terms is the absence of conflict but for us as Christians, Peace is a blessing which can be experienced in many aspects of our lives, but which many of us take for granted. When you go to bed each night without the fear of not waking up, it is peace. God says he gives His beloved sleep. Or when you go out in the morning to pursue your daily labour without any fear and arrive safely home at the end of the day in one piece, it is the peace of God. God says in Psalms 91:11, that He has commanded His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Olusola Sophia Anyanwu. 20.03.22 Questions from Rosemary Johnson[ACW Official 2022]
Encourage In a secular world, to what extent do you feel validated by being around Christian writers?
Have you made use of any of the following: Members’ Services (critiques on writing, available only to members)? – No. Tips, help and guidance in the Writing Craft section of the website? - No Submission opportunities in the Writing Craft section of the website? - No Can you give examples of specific leads or helpful advice given by ACW members you’ve met online or face-to-face?
Inspire is defined as ‘to make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it’ (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/inspire) I do you feel inspired, energised, motivated, and more confident being around other ACW members whether at writers’ days, the ACW Facebook (Group), Local writing group or genre specific writing groups such as the TRELLIS Poetry, More than Writers and Biblical Christian fiction. The bible says “ Iron sharpeneth iron”. This is my experience. I am inspired by the above groups through the experiences I benefit from, enabling me not to rest on my laurels, not to get distracted by social media, motivated to keep on writing by having to attend book launches almost every month or congratulate members for new books they have published or getting to review books of members. These act as inspiration to continue writing, to continue being fruitful and produce forth. These groups make me feel like a tree planted by ‘the rivers of waters’. My only setback which I need further encouragement, equipping and inspiration is to be able to Self-publish my own books from scratch to finish successfully. I know that in time, being around other ACW members who have done this successfully will eventually rub on me as well. Thank you very much. Blessings. |
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February 2024
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