Thank you Obama

He burst on the scene eight years ago with the swag of a meteor man, although nobody except himself believed he stood a chance. At the time it was inconceivable for a black American with descent from a small East African country to become the president and commander-in-chief of the richest and most powerful nation on earth. Dogged, courageous, charming and optimistic, he was simply unstoppable. He hit the campaign trail with conviction, his "Yes we can" slogan striking a chord in the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people that had for long longed for a paradigm shift.

His bearing and message of hope brought meaning and regenerated a lost generation who showed up and voted for him overwhelmingly. The status quo was changed forever as the small and big people in small and big corners of the world searching for answers began to believe that nothing was going to stop them if they took to action and dared to believe that they are destined to win. 

He had arrived in Chicago in his early 20s with raw dreams as he tried to figure out who he was and find his purpose in life. The dignity with which the ordinary people hustled moved him deeply, striking him that if he put a nice shift in everything he did nothing was impossible. From that time his pursuits were characterised by an audacious hope; the kind the apostle Paul said does not disappoint.

Indeed the test was won and the rest is history as Obama went on to become one of the youngest and most brilliant Senators. He did not stop there but gave the presidency a shot, hitting the mark. So profound was his attainment that it provoked gushing tears of joy down the cheeks of remarkable sages like Jesse Jackson who had tried years before and failed. 

Last week as I watched Barack Obama on CNN delivering an emotional farewell address to the nation of America, I doffed my cap and bowed. Not necessarily because of his performance as president but because of how he deftly showed us that nothing is impossible if you really believe. Yes I can shine too, and this is my year! Yes you can too, and this is our year!

Crazy things we do for love

Jacob was so in love that he agreed to work for seven years for Laban so he can marry his daughter Rachel, but those seven years "seemed to him but a few days"! If that was crazy, crazier was when after the seven years, Laban by trickery gave him the wrong woman - the big sister of the woman he was in love with, and Jacob didn't strangle him but agreed to work another seven years to get the real apple of his eye. So he toiled a whopping 14 years because of his blinding love for Rachel!

My friend who is more experienced in matters of love says Jacob's love for Rachel was rare. "If Rachel was 25 years when Jacob first saw her it means he married her when she was 39; an age when women are edging closer to menopause," says my friend. "To put it crudely, Jacob fell in love with a steaming hot young woman and was made to wait by the craftiness of her father that by the time he married her she was an 'old woman'! That means his love for Rachel went deep like the roots of an oak tree; he did not walk by natural senses."

Well, if you thought waiting for 14 years to marry the love of your life is long, what do you say about Florentina who waited for 51 years, 9 months and 4 days before destiny finally delivered the woman of his life into his arms! He had first fallen in love with the dashing Fermina when they were both still young  but as he was penniless Fermina was married off to a rich and famous doctor and he decided to wait for her husband to die so he can have his chance!

Much as the later case is a fictional creation by Garcia Marquez in his novel Love in the Time of Cholera, it teaches us, together with the story of Jacob and Rachel, that love is so special that we should be willing to pay any price for it. Then we shall live the remaining years of our lives happier than those who walked away from the obstacles.

A prayer for you

Dear reader, hopefully it has been an incredible first week of the new year for you as has been for me. I have a gut feeling that 2017 is a year of amazing favour and unfathomable blessings. Hard work may have its place but how about those who win the rotary at the first attempt? What many people call "good luck" is what I call God's favour, and I pray it shines upon you this year like never before.

May the Lord God who created the light that dispelled the darkness that used to cover the earth in the beginning -- may that God smile upon you this year and chase away the darkness of misfortunes that have been hampering your progress. May your plans take tangible form and be so established that even your haters will count your blessings and confess that you are surely mega blessed!

The fact that you are created in the likeness of God means that you have potential beyond measure that need to be maximised. You were created to have dominion; to rule and subdue the world. I pray that you never forget that; may that stir you into action to manifest the creativity and power akin to that with which God created the sun, the moon, the stars, the seas and the swimming creatures therein, among other magnificences of creation.

To you who desires to get married this year, I pray you find one tailor-made for you. God said it is not good for a man to be alone and created a woman for him, meaning it was also not good for a woman to be alone. May you get that partner that will perfectly complement you; a loyal and dependable helpmeet with whom you will be happy and soar till the end of time.

In everything I pray you don't make your work, business or profession your idol at the expense of those close to you. I pray for the wisdom to strike the balance; mingle with your friends and family; take care of your health by eating well, exercisig and resting sufficiently because God didn't goof when He designated Sunday as a day of rest in addition to night times.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Four things that will totally change your life

It's the new year and it always brings excitement because it represents rebirth. But such new beginnings can only make a difference if we determine to live and act differently.

Learn to relax and be happy

1. Track your money and open a special savings account upon which you must with utmost discipline deposit at least ten per cent of all the money you earn. In a few years it will have accumulated substantially and you can use it to start business, buy a plot of land or do something you can be proud of. 
2. Enrich your mind by buying good books and DVDs. There's a time I used to spend my money on romance novels and movies that  didn't help me beyond entertainment. Now I spend on only what improves my life. There are amazing biographies and motivational literature that will totally change your perspectives on life. Invest in that and your life will be totally transformed.
3. Learn something new. Learn how to play a musical instrument, become a gym member, learn a new language, take some dancing or cooking lessons. This year I'll learn how to play chess because the more newer things I learn the more exposure and friends I make along the way, which make all the difference. 
4. Be careful about the small details because they influence bigger things. A little hole can sink a boat and the horse with all its strength is controlled by a bit in its mouth. So be a master of the small things and they will bring organisation into your life and help you achieve monumentally. For example always decide what you're going to wear to work a night before, leave as many WhatsApp groups as possible because if you're honest you'll admit most of them are there just to consume your data and precious time. Water does not really hurt and bathing twice a day, wearing good and clean underwear, and participating in noble ventures like those of rotary clubs can give you that feel-good edge that will drive you in everything you do.

Happy New Year.

The cost of love

Something nice happened to me early this week. I received a package from a friend of mine who has been living in London for six years and is back home for the festive holiday. The package contained a football jersey, a really nice 2017 diary and a pocket Bible. It was so special because it was totally unexpected. I've not been communicating regularly with this friend, I didn't even know she was coming home for Christmas. In spite of that, I was among the people she remembered to bring something for, and it made me realise that the friendship we had at Campus had such quality as would never lose meaning as long as we live.

These birds made an unforgettable Christmas meal

It also made me realise that true friendship will always cost you. It will cost you time, money, and at times inconvinience you. If you wait for perfection and sufficience before begin to love and to give, it can only mean that there no sacrifice in your makeup and you will never truly love or cultivate meaningful relationships.

Consider the sacrifices parents make in the name of love. All the time, the love, the protection and the nurturing we receive from them to be the best we can be. I don't know about you but I come from a big family of 12 and every Christmas our parents bought us new clothes and served us a costly meal. Those were the times when drinking soda was still a big deal. And oh how they made sure there was enough soda with which to wipe down the sumptuous meal! Those were real good times that will forever be a part of my fondest of memories. 

 That kind of genuine giving and loving is dwindling in our capitalistic times, but luckily there are people like my London-based friend who have kept its flame burning. And thank God for Christmas because it's a reminder to learn from the best lover of all time, Jesus Christ, who gave His life that we may be redeemed. 

Merry Christmas.