Crossings Over 2017 to 2018.

So it’s finally here the last day of 2017 and am still here,am still standing but by the grace of God. 

It’s hard to believe that 2017 wizzed by so fast and today its coming to an end.I can still vividly remember doing my last post for the previous year (2016)whilst on the road traveling back to London from margate Kent with family members in the United Kingdom.

This year am doing my last post of the year, this time again on the road but in Atlanta, in the United States on my way to Sunday morning church service with friend,turned family. 

2017 - It’s been an eventful year, yet at same times it’s  been a tough year,however regardless I can only say am blessed, no doubts. 

That’s my confession ,It’s this blessing that carries  me through the highs,and the lows,the faithful and unfaithful experiences in 2017. Through my days,my nights  and through all the seasons of this year. The blessing of God that indeed makes rich and brings with it no sorrows- its that’s blessing I carry .What a manner of love,what indescribable grace to dwell in this blessings of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

My Reflections.

In 2017 my struggles , my challenges and fights were many, at times it seemed they popped up every where I look,or every corner I turned.

For my triumphs, I know, it’s only by grace,not cause of my hard work or the lack of it.Its just pure indisputable Grace that has kept me to the end of one season titled 2017; and now I am again blessed with a new canvas a new season a new year,2018  to redo,rejig and restart. 

So am leaving the year 2017 with this wisdom, “am stronger, and am wiser" , I will hold on to the strong reflections, lessons and gained wisdom from what I had to go through.Now, I know better not to go through them again, going forward daily to make better and best choices- yielding more to being led by the spirit and voice of God, walking and not making same mistakes or putting my self in same situations unhappy, unhealthy and unproductive situations  - 2018 will sure be the test of this wisdom.

My Outlooks

So 2018; I believe for me and for you too should be a year of going back to the things that once made me and you great, those simple but true and sure things that greatness are made of. 

One word can sum up this things, and it’s called Discipline-

Discipline on the family life, appreciating the essence and value of the family - getting  priorities straight, the right focus on the right things - Love,Sharing,Tolorance,Forgiveness”  for I believe like charity,everything ought to start from the home front, because you can’t give outside what you don’t have on the inside. 

Discipline on the Job,Work and Career fronts , knowing what I do and doing it better each passing day, treating it with the utmost respect,time and efforts it demands of me. Being a thinker as well as a doer in my professional space and enterprise. 

Discipline,physically in personal health,social engagement be it in person or via on online media.

Discipline with what I eat,what I drink,what I chose to see,what I want to hear,what I say, what I write and with what I type. 

Discipline, that will offer my all round reinforcement of my good and positive habits, while shading off the bad and ugly ones.So 2018; it’s a tough work, but it’s a rewarding work for a better me, a better you if you chose discipline - 2018 we would end up enjoying what matters the most.

On a spiritual level,  one word that would drive 2018 and help me put many things about the benefits of my faith and the demands of my faith in the right order - is discipleship

That very word , I believe God lead me all the way to Church today to open up my mind and understanding of what it means to be a believer in him and to be his disciple. The word shared at the (Victory World Church in Atlanta Georgia,  USA) reminds me again of the same word my Pastor, in my local church in Port Harcourt,  Nigeria Pastor Lanre Oluseye, started off impressing on my heart in 2017;  that word is Discipleship-

Understanding that you can’t follow Christ Jesus and not be a disciple- you can’t be Him and be the world both at the same time, to be in HiM you have to seek his kingdom interestingly Discipline and Disciples go hand in hand. 

A disciple, follows through on his “Kings” his teachers leading : every king has a kingdom , for me as a Christian ( follower of Christ) he said seek my kingdom - Matthew 6:33 the ultimate order for discipleship ( kingdom meaning -being under the rulership and reign of a king) - submitting our hearts,and vessels 100% . 

Being this disciple requires

 1:Being in his Kingdom, giving ourself to him, 

2:Letting the Kingdom be in You letting him rule and reign over our ways and 

3:Living the kingdom, manifesting the life of Christ here on the planet earth, living well,living blessed,helping and freeing the oppressed,reaching the lost, healing the sick, helping the needy and the poor.

2018; it’s a arduous task,no doubt  -so note to self -  you have to walk, the talk and keeping on walking every waking and sleeping moment . It will by no means be easy,but I trust on a higher power (the Holy Spirit)for the enabling grace,and strength to guide and sustain my resolve to make 2018; by living and learning and God Almighty being glorified,  for 2018 is the year of living the extraordinary life.  

Thanksgiving:

God, the giver, keeper and sustainer of Life.  I thank you with a gratitude that my words,and even thoughts cant contain- you kept me ,my wife and every members of our family safe and alive, we went through the days of 2017; in safety ,even in the face of unrelenting evil in the land and in the world,but  because your wing is our refuge ,because your banner of your love surrounds us : our testimonies has been sure, I didn’t lose a family, a friend or my colleagues to any forms of death and for this, Lord I am thankful: I enerstly pray that in 2018; the same God who protected us and kept us to fulfill to ensure his, will,  purpose and plans for our life will ultimately come to pass, shall continue to keep us,none will be lost, we will all find his kingdom and live out all of our days, under his rulership and reign.

Amen.

Thoughts &; Opinion 

Finally on a national level for me country, I am excited a see a new rising coming,  even though it's being birthed out of immense frustration, I believe that something that has held this land Nigeria bound, politically and economically is about to give way. I believe we are coming full circle and a new and much better Nigeria will start emerging.

Internationally the world is changing so fast, and uncertainty is what is charting the phrase called Globalization ,even the smartest of people now don’t know what the world would look like a year from today. I believe all this is happening because like I said in my post from last year, the fight between the forces for good and that for evil is no longer hidden: it’s on play so there’s no fence to stand on; either way all of humanity is taking sides on this war. 

So I go into 2018; twice this year first at 12am GMT Nigerian time, as I pray and join friends and family thousands of mile away in Nigeria online and over phone calls, and then six hours later here in Atlanta USA where am holidaying, I join family,friends and people of this great country the United States to go into 2018. 

Am excited , am grateful and am Thankful for 2018. 

Let’s do this !