MY VC; MY FATHER

MY VC; MY FATHER Hmmm! A decade long journey ends today. Professor Timothy Oyebode Olagbemiro is Bowen University’s Vice-Chancellor whose tenure in office ends today. He is indeed a father. My first contact with him in 2008 as a prospective student of the University got me astonished, because though I went in shivering considering the position of Vice-Chancellor in Nigeria, I came back smiling and overjoyed like I just had the best fellowship with GOD. Haha! was the first word that slipped through my tongue. To me it was impossible for an “ordinary” person to come face-to-face one-on-one with the VC. How different! Now I write this no longer as an Undergraduate student, but still have the same to say and even more. During my interview and interaction I could see the sincerity of a father. Finally I met with him on Saturday 27th July 2013 during the interview for intending pre-degree and IJMB students. It’s a norm not to wear beards in Bowen University and though I had my cheeks full, he only said “Ah! You are the one with the beard, please shave” Though some of us that read this might have inhibitions to any reasonable accolades to this man, I’ll forever say he is worth it. Congratulations sir! Move on to greater heights in JESUS NAME.

WHO SHOULD ENJOY?

Thinking about myself sometimes, always feeling like I should not enjoy while others suffer. Our transport system by road in Nigeria sometimes leaves one no choice. Recently I traveled and through all the journeys I had the opportunity of taking the front seat. Sometimes I had to share the seat but most times had to sit alone (as the norm). At those points I hear grumbles from other passengers about aching legs, tight seats etc. and I tend to pity them and wish I could relieve them of the burden but my biggest concern was if it was right for me at that point to enjoy while others were in pain. I always felt like I should not be in a state of convenience while others were passing through tortuous moments. A friend calls it a disadvantage to introverts. Though I mildly disagree, but even if I give up my position in front, someone will still occupy it, while others and myself will remain and be in their pain*. My candid opinion: if you always feel that way, it may mean you are concerned about the welfare of people; however, there are some things outside your control. At those points just hope for the best. I think that’s the best consolation

OBSERVATIONS

OBSERVATIONS I have read books on building and achieving...blah blah. One of the authors wrote “ask people to tell you about you and you will be amazed. So I did And this is one of the most touching responses: It’s a cool afternoon on this side of the earth as I pen this down; not to test my writing skills but to state a few very true observations… By my observations, those who try to measure their worth by their contributions to societal welfare live far beneath their emotional expectations. The Bible specifically says in II Cor 10:12 “But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point! I totally understand your yearning to actually render a specific service to mankind that no one else can, in the way you can and it’s commendable I think but I don’t want you to ever be caught up in the web of achievements. Achievements do not ever satisfy; they leave you hungry for more and it’s like an addiction over the long haul. In this web, you find people who are still struggling to find themselves but the loud applauses that have been severally attributed to them confuse them more. They are not described as beings, they are described as achievers. In the quest for discovering who you are, please do not get caught up in what you can do. There are already lots of Christian men out there who bury themselves in their accomplishments and if they are actually gonna be found… it will be worse than the ultimate search and worse still, they will probably be dead beneath that great pile of accomplishments. My lesson: achievements though good but are not meant to control us. What’s the importance of possession if they possess us?

TABLE FOR TWO

STORY LINE: You prepare a table for two (yourself and a lady). Then you go out to bring her home for dinner. Your friend (who has key access) incidentally brings a lady to your house. The lady is dumbfounded, and your friend shocked. They sit to enjoy your dinner. You come back home with your date with a very high spirit thinking you were going to wow her with the set table for two and propose to her. You open your door and find the table empty, next you proceed to your room, you find your friend lying arm-in-arm with his lady on your bed. LESSON: Just a freaking thought. What would you do?

DARE TO DO MORE MY DEAR

DARE TO DO MORE MY DEAR Had one of the most fascinating mornings when my friend sent me this article. Started working on publishing it as early as 4 am that day, because I was touched and wanted to pass it on. Read on and be enthused! Circumstances of life make us weary of hope. That is something familiar to us all. Daring to believe, daring to stand for something we know deep down in our hearts, daring to channel all our energy and thoughts into that concept, idea or dream is a process and a choice. It is a choice to continue to believe, at every milestone and every stumbling block (you can surmount)*; it’s a choice that many of us shy away from making because we are afraid of being disappointed. There is that common saying: “do not let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” The thoughts “what if I don’t make it?”, “what if I’m not good enough?” “What if I am rejected?”, “what if I fail?” run through our minds creating negative reactions and putting to death whatever dreams or thoughts we may have had. Many people who come to this junction give up and settle for the familiar. They settle to do the things they have always done and succeeded at and stay in their comfort zones. They choose to be average and mediocre over what they could have become, following their hearts because they did not Dare to Hope. The Bible says “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” This is because without faith you cannot see beyond current situations to future realities. God has prepared the good works we will do before we were even created. This is God who made us in His own image after His likeness i.e. to be exactly like Him. Meaning, we get to think like Him, talk like Him, work like Him, eat like Him, love like Him, see like Him, create like Him, etc. He is the Sovereign God and He doesn’t do average work. Look around you and you will see manifestations of His persistent faith in faith. Creating the seen from the unseen, creating a being from dust and giving him life yet giving him freewill, that is insane! Or taking pain to create two completely unique individuals and somehow making them one. Numerous examples of how He doesn’t do mediocre work, the Milky Way, Niagra falls, Idanre hills, Mount Kilimanjaro, ferocious lions, majestic elephants and tiny but beautiful oysters. Even the detailed workings of the human brain! How else do we want Him to show us how much we can do? God knows that the temptation to fear will come but it is our loss if we succumb to it. Today, I challenge you. That idea, that dream you have laid aside because you couldn’t gather enough evidence to believe, go bring it out. It’s coming to you! Do you hear me? It is coming to you. Dare to believe, Dare to hope, Dare to achieve!!! Hmmm!!! is the sigh I hear as you conclude this piece, but please don’t let it end there. Move on to action. GOD IS WITH YOU.

Who is right?

Considering the spate of academic failure, I wonder who should be blamed. Take a look at the picture in this post. A book or collection that should guide students is in fact a failure. Many text books by our academics are the same. A book that should guide will in turn be corrected and reviewed by the same users that should benefit from it. How sad. What really is wrong?

VARIOUS SCENTS ON ONE BODY

VARIOUS SCENTS ON ONE BODY Please evaluate this person. 1. Shampoo; 2. Mint tooth paste; 3. Face ointment; 4. Axe body spray; and 5. Cologne Just imagine the different types of scents coming from just one person. I have come to wonder the idea that comes to mind when I wear all these scents on one body. The lesson I learnt from this is that though it is called one body I can’t use one type of scent producing cleanser for all parts. I can’t use a body spray for my mouth, nor can I use toothpaste for my hair and so on. In this case when I’m faced with situations that are similar, I should not use just one method to solve them. Watch closely for differences. Have a great day!!!

A MIRROR-WINDOWED HOUSE

A MIRROR-WINDOWED HOUSE After dressing up one day I got outside and just by my passage is a house with a tinted mirror window. And recently I came across the lyrics of the song by Lil Wayne-Mirror. As I stood facing the window I thought to myself, 1. the person inside the room has a very clear view of me staring at his/her window while I don’t ; 2. but I have a clearer view of myself which the person inside can never have. As I pondered on those things I came to realize how helpful the window was to me in a way and helpful to the insider in another way. I learnt that I used the window as a mirror while the insider used it as a shield. Things will work to your advantage when you are stationed right. If I need a shield I should be inside, if I need a mirror, then I should be outside. At every positioning, make things work for you for good.