Remembered [A Book of a Life]

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At the end of the day what do to want your life to say about you?

That you ate cheese burgers and grew fat?

That you had babies and lots of sex?

That you binged and trimmed till you looked like the lady on the cover of the magazine?

That you were beautiful and had the best boys?

That you were the kid of the block and was so cool?

That you were so genius Smart, Einstein must have been jealous?

That you could sleep walk in high heels?

That you could speak Latin, German, Khoza, Italian, Mandarin and Jupiternese?

That you were super rich?

I know a lot of this are just a breeze and laugh-off able


But what do you want to be remembered for?

In fact do we ever think of been remembered?

In a me-me world do we ever think of them- the people, the other out of our self.

There's a seperatedness we can enter into in our head-space but it's a lie, we are connected.

What matters to me does matter to you.

What happens to them is a chain effect. The proof: our father is God.
Lost and found children of God.

We'll you be remembered?

Like a biography reads that stirs hearts, what book will be written about you?

A book is already being written whether or not you are a writer or have hired a biographer. It's called your life and it will speak at the end when you strike the last letter.

The book called your life
A book of a life
The book of life.

These days I'm opening my pages with more intentionally.
I am a dreamer so I start from the end.
I ask myself at a tension moment or tough point "Steven, how do you want it (the situation) to turn out in the end?"
I often retort "beautiful" I have always had a thing for Cinderella things. No tragedy.

And in that moment I am offered a chance to take my turn.
To make a hard and sometimes painful choice that may hurt (but not harm) me or someone I love in that moment.

To love a little harder, turn the other cheek when all I want to give is to give a side kick.

To give up that which I have been given.

To chose vulnerability and a sincere conversation over feigning and a facade that could me win Mr Fab of the year.

These are my choices and these are the things I want to be remembered for.

That though I was broken,  I walked whole and helped others to be whole.

That though I was fully human, I was also fully super.

That though life took my wings, I flew and lifted others up too.

That though all that was served at the table was hate, hate and some more hate, I regurgitated love.

This is the miracle.

This is me.

That though I was once blind but now I see.

Amazing huh?

Friend, if it (the things we done and pour our lives into) all comes down to a fervent faith, a daring hope and an unquenchable love, we will be held and shielded.

Be remembered. Choose the things you want that book to read. Start from the end. How do you want it to be?

Choose the things you want that life to speak.

Cause no one can stop the fact that: it will speak. It's only a matter of time.

But now is your time.

Hold your pen.

Write.

You my friend already are writing.

Write intentionally.


Ponder:

"Sometimes being a brother is better than being a superhero" -  Marc Brown

A Safe Place

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Your safe place
Not comfortable but safe.
Your desires and the things you value most still in sight.

There's movement.
There's motion.
You can run like the child you once were
And walk with grace like the adult you are.

Your safe place is your own doing.
A garden to tend
A boundary of sorts
In the end no one (but you) is gonna account for it
You've been given 
You can let weeds grow in this tedious garden while looking at the greener other side
Or you can own your zone

So guard
Be fierce
Be real
Be you


Love people but don't hate your self
Who you are, what you've been called to do here and where you are meant to go,
Your safe place helps get you there.
Remember it's safe but not comfortable.

And remember
The tomb is also a womb
As one thing ends another is born
Sometimes you need a place to bring it to maturation
Don't let the harshness of earth kill your dreams
Remember it's safe but not comfortable.

The Dance

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He still wants you. Oh yes you. You stand at the corner of the room. Your excuse, your shoes hurt and are covered in blood. But you know you can heal. 

Wear your shoes and step and out on the dance floor.

He isn't dancing yet because you haven't arrived on the floor
You've given up on your self
You've thought you'll never dance again.
Your shame, is the rope tying you to the ground. Gravity isn't this weighty.

A number of us still have strong wings but the only thing is we've passed our own judgement and chosen not to believe the report of The Lord. 

Even when you fall, come. Come running.
I love you. I promise I'll always will.
I chose you and in still choosing.
If you think I will give up on you just cause you messed up then you're I chose because you're strong.

I'm no Barter God. You are not a profit instrument. You are my love. My unconditional love. I love you. I'm patient with you. I'm waiting for you. 

Sometimes I wonder as an observer on this thing called 'living' if we really believe the love of God. How is it affecting our decisions, our responses and our own personal love and power. Is it making us fearless as a race or we're cowering in?

I won't start dancing till you step out.
But I know we'll dance cause you'll step out.
My love is making you strong.
I love you. I promise I'll always will.
I chose you and I'm still choosing you. 

Children of heaven, let's settle it in our mind as soon as possible (ASAP) that our God is love and good. It would save us time. . . time to do our moves on the dance floor. 

Right now He's calling. But sometimes the call can feel like a burden. I am saying this with all the audacity I can mutter:

 Unclench your fist and rest if you aren't ready for The Dance. Just come in if you are weary, broken, and tired. Come in to the room. Don't sit in the corner. There in center stage, Make your bed. Lay down your fears that He will trip over you as He dances. As He dances around and over you, you my friend will receive the strength you need as He beckons:

Come love, let's dance.

Hover:

"Learning to move her body to its limitations. Teaching her body to listen to her soul's desires. She is learning to fly. She is learning self discipline and control of emotions and that she is actually limited only by her imagination.The Dance is heavenly."

"We start as children, with hopes and dreams. And if we are lucky enough to not be afraid to keep dreaming, all our dreams will come true."

"Hope is. . . we will experience all we've been promised even when we live in the consequences of regrets of waiting on promises"

Baking Bread: Chef [x interview]

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So God bakes bread these days?

Hmm, not really *Laughs* I think I like the idea that ingredients can be one of the worst things to consume ordinarily but when heat, condiments and sweeteners come in, dinner is served.

So tell us, is the fire really necessary? I mean if there is a God and he loves us so much, can't we just have a very smooth ride? How necessary is the fire?

I will take it from here, I think first a lot of very 'ordinary' things like nature, child birth, and even general processes like the way valuable things like gold are gotten are a mirror of the spiritual journey God has for every man. The process is important.

I always like to think it this way: I am the stuff that would live forever I better be well formed, I better not be half baked.

And it's not just only hard things God brings our way. He gives us room to breathe, the green pastures to lie in so our souls is refreshed for the journey. And he knows how to balance these experiences cause he knows what we need as individuals to mature. I think that's why I connect so well with the allegory of the chef. A good chef has a mastery of balance.

In your essay, you paint a picture of someone in a kitchen which he/she can't make sense of. I'm not sure if that's you. And at the end of it, you end with a prayer. I was thinking you would end with a 5 step plan to get your groove back. Why is this?
I think we live in a do-it generation and I must say cause of this, prayer has really been underrated. I mean just opening up your mouth and having a sincere conversation with God, is fast loosing its meaning. We think of how to solve our problems first then if it doesn't work out then we run to God. But God should be the first person we go to.

I also think a prayer no matter how irregular is very powerful, in fact one the most powerful arsenal we have as humans here on earth. It like a catalyst, an alignment, a trigger, it causes things to change and cause things to happen.

At the end of your essay you also mentioned, bread and feeding the multitude. Tell us more.
I think we miss one of the most inspiring tenets of life in our chasing the [insert your nationality] dream. *Laughs* And this is it: my life is not about me. Our life isn't really about us, neither is the story we are living. I mean a character doesn't play a role to sit back and watch or be entertained by it. In fact he can't do these events consecutively. We stage in God's story so that others can see his glory via our lives. 

Hmm deep thoughts. Any last words for our readers?

I would say no matter where you are as this year ends, the end of the year is not the end of you. No matter the broken dreams or what you couldn't achieve this year, bow your knees and pray and raise your head and go do whatever he tells you. Fear not. Be brave. The master chef is your kitchen. And yes Merry Christmas too.

P.S.- If you haven't, Click here to read Chef, the essay.