Cassie

[Image by Alexey05]

In the end, we got news she stopped at the city before this

The last who saw her said she was raising her hands to a fast disco song at the city bar

Dancing, jumping, laughing and screaming 'this is where i belong'

I shook my head in sadness when I heard of Cassie cause I knew that wasn't her place

But a thought stopped my head from motion

Cassie is us

And sometimes we are Cassie

Stopping at the first ray of hope in a dark desert

Don't ever give up on your dreams

If God has shown you a golden city

Never settle for one because it's shining lights remind you of gold

Don't ever give up on your dreams

Its fulfillment is the long awaited answer to another's desperate prayer

Press on, don't settle, Let God answer a prayer through you

 

We are still waiting for Cassie

And yes we need her

She has the unique answer to a question we all long for to be to be answered

If you see Cassie tell her she ain't there yet

If you see Cassie tell her to pick up her bags

If you see Cassie tell her to leave the disco floor and continue her journey

If you see you tell you we are waiting

We are waiting for that song only you can sing

We are waiting for that book only you can write

We are waiting for that word only you can say

We waiting for that scientific world problem only you can solve

So pack your bags and leave the disco floor

And please please please if you see Cassie, tell YOU we are waiting

P.S. - for all the 'Cassie's who raise their hands to a disco song at a bar that is not for them to dance. Don't settle there. We are waiting for you.

 

"To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or your dancing shoes. Pull out your camera or your computer or your pottery wheel. Today, tonight, after the kids are in bed or when your homework is done, or instead of one more video game or magazine, create something, anything.

Pick up a needle and thread, and stitch together something particular and honest and beautiful, because we need it. I need it.

Thank you, and keep going."

— Shauna Niequist (Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life)

"Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his children's glory completely" - Romans 8:19 (New Century Version)



iRecommend [99.1 Joy! Fm App For Blackberry and iPhone Users]

Now you really don't have to carry along all the music you love everywhere you go.

New on The Blackberry App World is an app we've all been waiting for. And the good thing about it is it's entirely free.  It's the 99.1 Joy! Fm app. You can listen to contemporary christian music all from the likes of Chris Tomlin, Britt Nicole, Beckah Shae, Casting Crowns, Jamie Grace, Group 1 Crew and many others. It's not only that, also stay updated on the latest news in the CCM industry, connect in on various talk shows and many more.

The app for the Blackberry is built in such a way to work on your BIS (Blackberry Internet Service) so no worries of extra charges as long as you have a BIS plan. The app is also available in the iTunes app store and also for Android devices so the Apple and Droid users aren't left out at all.

If you use a Blackberry, get it here!

If you use an iPhone, get it here!

If you use a Droid device, get it here!

Did I tell you? The app is free! So What are you waiting for? Go ahead and Click!

Till next time on iRecommend, It's your boy, The King's son 

And remember

U R LUVED :)

P.S - You can also visit the Joy! Fm site. Lots of freebies.

10 Ways Pain Can Help Us Tell Story Better

  [ Image by mrfelix ]

 Pain is 'painful' and mostly not desired but a lot of people are always affected one way or the other by it and creators of art aren't always left out. And some say that a creator ( a writer especially) has more to create when the person has experienced  a lot of pain. Most have heard this and gone ahead to create out of pain and leave long pages bitter and sweet music sour. How can pain help us tell story better? I have been thinking about this and this are helpful findings I think worth sharing

1. We learn from pain; we don't let it damage us
We show our scars; we should never try to ignore them. We must find  and realize the beautiful tattoo in our scars before the world can see the beauty in them.

2. We must remember skin is a covering; the main bone of contention is what our circumstance has done to our souls, and an ever shining hope; the soul can heal if we learn to surrender

3. We must be convinced that the events in our story aren't random. Like Cinderella becoming an orphan, she would one day become a princess. Like Snow White falling into a deep sleep, she would one day be awaken by a beautiful kiss.

4. We must embrace the uniqueness of every story including our personal story. This would ease the error of comparing ourselves. There are comedies, action flicks, family dramas,adventures and horror motion pictures. Every one of these isn't appreciated by everyone. And life would be boring if we only had only one.

5. Stories are sometimes like unborn babies. Never force out a story prematurely. It might leave a wound on you if told in the wrong time. Glean from it. Learn wisdom from your past foolishness. In it time, you will be able to tell it with enough boldness and poise.

6. Somehow people always sense pain if it by any means shows up on the page. When a story is due to be told somehow pain doesn't appear on the page. A joy of transformation is what appears on the page. And people are always more in awe of the joy than the pain.

7. Your pain in it's raw form does no one good.

8. Never let pain let you loose the appreciation of the uniqueness of story. Because the experience was like that for you does not mean everyone has it like that.

9. See it as a phase. Holding on to pain as a writer or story teller might just give your story a monotony you don't wish for. Leave the door open for the blessings and joys that would come. That's why its called life after all. Stay open!

10. One thing that would steal the lessons and the treasures you have gained in your season of pain is cynicism. Never let pain harden your heart ( when it does, the art becomes heartless; very not flexible ) but let it soften and purify it.

"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it" - Maya Angelou

". . .[I will] give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom. . . " - Isaiah 61:3 (The Message)

Stepping Out:

11. (The Bonus) : Sometimes healing takes time. If you are in a season of pain don't see it as a pause on life. Move close to those who love and appreciate you. Celebrate! Yes, you read that right, celebrate. Turn up the music you love, read books you have longed to read, feed the 'hungry' around you, extend a hand to the hurting around you. Choose a day to pray (consistently) for those going through the same situation you are going through. Curl up into bed on most nights and freeze the moments that stole your breathe away during the day by penning down the words. Find your rooting and take time to discover the real 'you'.  You'll Be OK. One day you would look back and cherish the words you wrote down during this season. You would cherish the person you have become through this cause and you'll be Be OK. It's just a phase and you must choose to not let it faze the happy ending of  your story :)

Are you a writer, singer, artist, story teller or a creator of art of any kind. In what ways have pain helped you tell story or create art better? I would love to hear from you.

iRecommend [Stretching Out by Travis Greene]

If You Like : Wyclef Jean, Mali Music, Israel Houghton, Tye Tribett, The Murrills and Liquid Deep

I have had Travis Greene's album for a while and it's simply amazing. I usually start out on the first track 'Stretch' and relish it all the way. Somewhere  near the end  is the track 'Saveya', it's just so musically innovative and out of this world. Travis's style is classic and yet still contemporary. Comparing his music might be a bit difficult. But you would sure hear a bit of soul artist Mali Music ,the classic sound of Wyclef Jean and of course the upbeat tune and rocky edge of Hillsong United. Tracks to look out for include 'Still Here', 'Prove My Love' and 'Sing Praises' ( on which the adorable voice of Laura Wilson appears).Shauna Niequist (Author of Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life) 's facebook wall. And here is it:
"She told the most wonderful stories, and she said it was because she had discovered that 'once upon a time' was really here and now."


Till next time on iRecommend, remember

U R LUVED :D

Beautiful Stranger

[Image by BryanVillarin]

The first day I met Carly, I couldn't break the stare.

'Oh what beauty' I said to myself

We spoke, I drooled

We connected, I asked her out

The next day, I met Timehin and I broke up with Carly.

Two days from now I'm getting married to Cojo.

Never mind, I broke up with Timehin two years back.

Tossed and turned with a lot of beauties since then.

I'm sitting at the 'Rockspot' cafe and a beautiful belle is staring at me.

And sure! I'm staring back at her

The coco milked skin has got me thinking

And oh! She just moved

She's the one meant for me

The way she moves

She's the missing rib I have been looking for

I calculate the tactics for Boy to meet girl in this scenario.

I would go for her

It would never work with Cojo. Better never than break her heart

Putting a ring on it then walking away might just break her heart the more

We won't work

Beautiful stranger moves in my direction

A thought comes to heart from no where or maybe somewhere

And it's got me thinking: it takes more than skin to choose the one I would spend my whole life with

My eyes see too many beauties, that I celebrate

But that if it sees that which eyes cannot see, of that I'm concerned

I break the stare as she approaches the corner I'm sitting

By the way, beautiful strangers grow old too

P.S. - For all out there 'single' and 'unmarried'; can you have a future with him or her if you don't see the him or her of the future?

Rewriting The Unwritten

It is when we come out of the room we made with the bricks of the past that we discover that we can do many things.

We are more than we are and we are becoming. The future is our blank page where we can begin again a beautiful story.

But the fear. . . The fear of rewriting a grammatical error like we did in the past

The fear again of leaving the main character in a pool of blood at the end of our new story like we did before

We all want happy endings but it's surprising that not all get the happy ending desired

This should point to a truth
Those who are wise when given a second chance at writing their stories hand over the pen and learn.

We must learn to accept and acknowledge the 'true' but hard truth which is : our stories would end up in the tragedy of before if we write like before

The future is unwritten but if we do not hand over our pens to the Author we are simply writing the unwritten with the already written.

There is a skill in 'real life' story writing that we don't have

Man makes mistakes

God makes no mistakes

Let's hand over our pens to the one who has sent his son to die for us all for love

Some how the center of His story is to change our story

And when we surrender our pens, somehow History never forgets that we were characters in this story.

And when we surrender our pens, the written would never be rewritten on the unwritten.

Question of The Day : Do you believe the written ( the past ) can never affect the unwritten ( the future )? How possible is this? I would love to hear from you. A happy new september to you all :)




Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN