THE NOSE KNOWS

For so long, I tried
I changed all I could
The outside
The things I could grasp
The things people could see
The things I could see when I tend to be shortsighted
I changed them and I thought I changed
If the world could be honest
They could have just told me
I was still the same old me
Somehow somewhere was the same old me behind all the things I tried to change

The things that really matter aren't things we can grasp
If something stinks in the fridge
You clean the outside for all eternity
The day you open up the fridge again
The nose knows something is still wrong

Real change comes from within
Real change comes when we let the One who can grasp the things we can't grasp grasp the things in need of grasping
Changing the outside is like wasting precious time
When change happens on the inside, it shows on the outside

I have tried to change for a while
And I'm learning
One thing I know is. . . .
The nose knows
If I clean the outside and bottle up some trash on the inside
The nose knows
If I pretend all is well and all isn't really well
The nose knows
If I try to substitute pretty things for inner beauty
The nose knows

I desire change
Though difficult but worth it
In the end the fridge gets opened up
In the end all things are revealed
In the end all deeds are seen in the light of grace

I desire change
Though difficult but transforming
Ask the caterpillar how it became the beautiful butterfly we love to admire
Change
From the inside out
It isn't a caterpillar anymore
Call it one and it flutters away as the butterfly it is

I desire change
Though difficult but liberating
It would help us love the light and dance in it
It would turn white washed tombs into the dwelling of the Holy
It would turn Saul into Paul
It would turn the crawling caterpillar into the flying butterfly we see

I desire change
But the nose knows
When true change happens and when it don't
The nose knows
What really are we scared of !
Change?
But it's beautiful in it's entirety
Oh. . .
That the deeds of the dark would be revealed in the light?
That light would dwell where darkness once encroached?
That a possibility of good could rise from the ashes of the bad?
What are we afraid of?

I desire change
But of one thing I'm sure
When the deeds of the dark are revealed if we choose to dance in the light
It would not be a mess but a message





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THIS IS YOUR LIFE !

7:02 AM
Monday Morn
Location: World

Hello everyone,

Through out this week I would be uploading a write up/verse/poem whatever name you would like to give it each morning. It's from somewhere deep inside, a treasure in it's own right. Some have been written a while ago. One for each day till saturday. The first would run this Monday morn.

Your duty fellow bloggers and dear readers - read deeply, think about the truths embedded in the vault of words. Of some things I'm sure; life is too short for nonsense. Every human life has a calling on it. Every life has a choice to rise above the craziness that clings , no matter the race, no matter the color, no matter what it has come to believe about life. This is your life- so what are you gonna do about it?

It's a beautiful morning over here this Monday morn. Waking up beautifully to a reality unfolding around me as CCM's veteran band Third Day's 'Born Again' plays over my air waves. A sort of soberness I can control cuts through my heart. The world I live in needs me to be me more than ever though it might never admit it but am I brave enough? Am I brave enough to be like Aragon in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy who gives up his life time to save a people under the siege of a dark lord. There's always a price to pay and that's one thing I'm sure of. In the end when beauty comes nobody remembers the travails of the caterpillar. We see the butterfly and rejoice.

As I rummage around this house this morn, I'm praying from the deepest part of me. Show me Lord. Show me what it takes to be a beautiful flower in the midst of storm that has taken the best part of our town already. Show me what it takes to be a man using his strength to save and not defile the damsels in distress. Show me what it takes to be faithful to a King I can't see.

But is it that I don't know some things. Like Love, though beautiful and serene is able to silence the tongue of evil and transform the ugly step sister who demeans our Cinderella into a princess too. Yes in fact a beautiful princess.

Another duty for you fellow bloggers and readers- that you Rethink this life. We aren't random. The God who made us isn't directionless. Purpose shines through in all his handiwork.
Wake up to his Purposes for you. As this week unfolds read deeply, be blessed and also recommend this blog to a friend. Email the link to a relative, friend, loved one via Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, MySpace and even Blogger. Who knows you might have just awaken a soul. Feel free to send your stories on how each writing or how this week on this blog has been an inspiration, a blessing and an encouragement. I would love to hear from you ( Twitter: @ayostephens Email: toomuchofmiiall@yahoo.com ). And ouh! The track just changed. It's Francesca Battistelli's Beautiful. God is indeed interested in our hearts this morn. Have a beautiful day and expect my first entry blog for this beautiful in some minutes :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

SUNDAY BLOG: I HOPE YOU DRAW GOD

I HOPE YOU DRAW GOD

10:20 AM
Sunday 20th of February, 2011
Location: Church

I keep teaching you the words of the Divine
You keep writing in shades and lines
You are not actually writing
You are actually drawing
I won't get angry
Draw on child
I won't grow weary
Write on child
You are drawing not writing
But you might be writing the pictures you see

If worship is an exercise out of the mundane
Can't we expect that which is out of the ordinary?
If walking with God is an experience
Must we all have the same adventure with Him?

You are drawing
I won't be cynical
Bless us
Bless us child
If this is a worship the Father appreciates; draw on

Like stained glasses of a cathedral
We all are a part of his body; the church
Through us he expresses his light in different shades

My word to you
Let this be a reverence
An expression to the Father of the uniqueness of your heart
A worship that would touch the Father's heart
And in the end. . . .

I hope He expresses his heart to us through you
I hope we see the Father's heart in a new light of love
And above all
I hope you draw God
I long to see his face

SITUATION

3:05PM

I was sitting in youth group in my church while one of the youth pastors was guiding the class into the discourse of the day. I wasn't taking a class today but I decided to stay back at the youth group (instead of heading to the main church) and join in. The week before had been an experience and I didn't want to miss out on this one.
It's amazing the way God speaks. Sometimes it could be through something so dramatic and sometimes in the quiet. And sometimes it could be through a teenage boy who decides to draw while others are taking notes of scriptures and words that speak to their hearts in a Sunday class. I was drawn in and I decided to write the above.

LEAVING STEREOTYPE 'W'

This is not meant to be a discourse on worship but can I just say a few things?
Most people camp worship into just singing. I agree, we are commanded numerous times to raise a God-song in the scriptures. In fact God detailed in the book of chronicles how he wanted the music to be in the temple to the Israelites. Music is a powerful thing that moves hearts- our hearts and even the Father's heart. But what happens to the 'non-musical' people? What happens to people who don't even recognize the difference of a song and a said sentence? If worship was restrictive to music it cuts them out of the pleasure.
Worship is giving God pleasure. The pleasure you give should flow through you too. What is that thing that gives so much pure pleasure to your heart when you do it? For me, sometimes to regain my heart in a crazy world, I find someplace where I can have some solitude and pour out my heart in poetry. And the amazing thing is . . . He speaks! God responds. And that's a key in worship. Lots of people 'worship' without a response. The soul isn't transformed. No deep holiness is wrought from within. Please note, I'm not saying that's the aim of worship. Worship is to give God pleasure not our own self and that's key. But who would dance before a King without leaving with a gift? Talk less the King of kings.
Leaving the stereotype might be hard cause of traditions and what we are used to. But the first and essential step is walking with God. That's how we know what He requires from us.

HE DIDN'T DRAW GOD, HE DREW BEN 10!

The teenage boy I was sitting next to (whom I talked of earlier on) didn't eventually bless us with the face of God. He drew Ben 10! Argh! I guess he was simply distracted. But still it was a blessing. Till next time on Sunday blog, it's me your boy.

The King's Son
a.k.a Ayo Stephens

#NowPlaying ♫ I'm Good - James Fortune & FIYA. ♫ » » Good Stuff

JoY :D

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POWERLESS! : LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE CLASSROOM CALLED LIFE

Friday, 11th February, 2011
9:23PM

I'm smiling again and that's a good thing. Today I walked away after having a conversation with a particular person with the feeling 'I'm on my own in this world'. It wasn't really heavy talk come to think of it. Basic chit-chats, some catching up then the topic of faded dreams and stunted promises came up. Talk of how people give their word and take it back when you least expect it. God is going to make a way. Yes. God is going to come through for us in that situation we are going through. Sure! But we could always use a King David who would come and lift our 'Mephibosheth' out of his Lo-debar or like in the parable of Jesus, a good Samaritan to lift us out of our 'weariness', provide shelter and hospitality, pay the bills and promise to come back for us in case we might be needing a thing before he heads back on his journey.

MUSINGS
'People need people' a friend of mine loves to say, 'God would not come down and help, he would send people' I agree. Yes I agree . . . or do I? But wouldn't thoughts like that be dangerous for people like me of just faith enough to breathe a second (yeah . . . just one secondJ).
So what happened to God parting the red sea himself?
Oh I forgot He used Moses as a vessel by telling him to stretch forth his staff
So what happened to God collapsing the walls of Jericho all by his mighty power?
Okay those guys (the Israelites) had to agree to match around for SEVEN days
But He sent Manna and Quail by reversing the winds
Touché!
Okay, I rest my musings

ON MY OWN
Since I walked away earlier this evening, it kept coming back 'you are on your own, there's no one that you know who's going to help you bring those big dreams to reality'. Situation checked; that was just the case scenario. All the marbles I could see in the present story then matched the thought so well but something just didn't feel right about it. Yeah . . . it just didn't.
The cocoon it (the thought) created for me felt like a comfortable place to stay for all evening . . . then the weariness came, a kind of tiredness of the soul. 'I'm on my own?' DANG! That's tiring. I walk over to the kitchen to fix a snack something just to munch. It's funny when our soul is hungry and we feed our body instead *WINK*. Anyway, as I cram my plate with leftovers, I voice the first emotion, 'why does it have to be so hard?' then the complaints. . . . But just as I was about to lash out a complaint, I notice the fluorescent tube right in the kitchen . . . 'it's working!'
The fluorescent tube story is a long one but I would shorten it. We have had problems with this particular tube over the past months. In fact called in several electricians to fix it innumerable times but still it refuses to function. The whole unit has been changed times without number but to no avail but tonight I find it working!

BREAK TIME
A break from my complaints and I'm like 'Thank you God . . . I don't have to squint around the kitchen tonight . . . and that's so cool'. About to resume complaining, I hear God speak to my heart 'do you know there's so much to be thankful for'. I sit heavily on a stool. Its like have just been slapped. A smile crosses my face. True! So true! That's so true. A lot, in fact it would take me the rest of the evening . . .

REMEMBERING
It's easy to forget
It's easy to forget how good the manna tasted in the wilderness
It's easy to forget how our clothes didn't grow old even though we had none to change them with out there in the wilderness
It's easy to forget how God came through for us in time past
How He fought our battles for us when we had weapons and even when we were weaponless
But we have to carry the 'heavy' cross of remembering . . . ('remember you were slaves in Egypt. . . .' – Deuteronomy 16:12). We have to remember. What has God done? Answer that question, it points to what he can and would do.

INVENTORY
I'm writing this post, I'm taking inventory and I'm thankful! God has been and is faithful; I'm just so blind to see it at times. The whole scene of it brings my mind to a quote I once heard by Derek Prince about prayer and I paraphrase 'if you spend ten minutes praying, eight minutes out of it should be spent in thanksgiving'. We complain because we do not know how to give thanks. I'm learning. I look back and I see God has been with me all along guiding and providing. He has proven every step of the way that I'm not my own. He has carried me all my life. I remember as I look back to what he has done that really I'm not on my own, God has been with me all along.

POWERLESS!
My heart goes out to everyone out there who might be going through a hard place. In fact you might not even be going through but you are stuck in a bad position. It seems like no one cares and no one wants to hear or help you. My word for you – God still moves stones. He still rains manna from heaven. He still moves. Yes he uses people but when people don't want to be used . . .He moves . . . really I don't know exactly how but He does.
It can be tiring when you are moving to the next phase of your life and you just suddenly realize falsely that you are alone. I've been there. I was there earlier this evening. It's time to give it up baby! You are not your own. You can't even win on your own. You are powerless! . . . . on your own. But instead of despairing in the fact that we are powerless to put together the good life we desire why not let us be empowered in the truth that a God goes before us, he is with us, we are not on our and he's got our best interest at heart?

CLASS SUMMARY
Observation: On my own I'm powerless
The lie (What Professor satan has to say): You are on your own. You would never make it. There is no hope for you. There's no one to help you.
The Truth (What Our Counselor, God has to say): You are not your own. You are not on your own. You are not alone. I have carried you all your life.

THE END. (At least for now. :)

N.B. – Professor satan is actually not approved by the school to give lessons. His lessons are always not true. He is a liar! On many accounts students have failed in the classroom of life on the account that they listened to him. So BEWARE! :D

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AYO'S JOURNAL: A DAY SPENT HOMELESS

Saturday, 15th January, 2011
7: Forty something. PM

I'm sitting in a pose that would make do for any rock album cover ( say 'Fall Out Boy' . . . Leke Togun loves them so much *starry eyed*). The only binger that I wouldn't be making an album cover for any Hollywood rock artist tonight is simply the backdrop- an empty wooden shack.
My company- a couple of my colleagues who won't stop recounting how life has never been as hard for them as it has been today. I try hard not to roll my eyes. Sincerey, I'm tired! First, of offering words of encouragement on how things are going to turn out better. Second I'm tired as in really tired.

HOMELESS

We are actually homeless. We all vounteered for some work and we are like far from our homes. After a long day waiting for our field officers, we are here tired.
Situation- we have no place to lay our heads.

DEAR FRIEND

People start picking up their cellphones calling friends. Explaining the situation and making the 'can I come over' request. Everyone gets luck except me. Where exactly are my friends when I need them? DANG! ! !

A SACFRICE OF PRAISE

I remember talking a long walk earlier on today during the waiting. I just wanted to clear my head, listen to some good music . . . But to be honest, at first I felt an urge to draw away from the crowd. As I was walking down a particular lonely road, Natalie Grant's 'Song to the King' ( from her new 'Love Revolution' album) was playing via my music player when a phrase jumped at me from the song. I've heard this song a number of times. The phrase was 'Sacrifice of praise'. What really is a sacrifice of praise. Is it all about what we bring and the song we sing during offering time in church? ♫ We bring a sacrifice of praise ♫ (Do they still sing that in your church. . . Just wondering cause I love that song :)). But what really is a sacrifice of praise.
It's so easy to praise our God from the mountain top. You know. To raise a God song when it seems so fab requires little to no strenght. God is good and its obvious. What about when we can't see it? It's a good thing I tell you to praise from the mountain top but what of when we are in the valley when all trace of hope 'seems' gone.

COSTLY OBEDIENCE

Raising a God song in the middle of this is hard. 'The Son of man has no where to lay his head' that's a godly thought but what a boy to doo when homeless at an ungodly hour.
It's getting cold - I won't complain
I'm hungry - I won't complain
I'm so tired - I won't complain
Maybe God speaking to my heart earlier today about a sacrifice of praise has got me prepared for this moment.
Arggh!
Every nerve in me is tempted to be cynical and grumble but I will obey, even though it might be costly.

ALSO EARLIER TODAY. . . 'DOES GOD SPEAK TO YOU'

During the waiting also earlier today, I decided to keep my self busy. Sat down, drew out the paperback I've been reading which was John Eldrege's 'Walking with God'. On the back it's got a subtitle that goes 'Talk to Him, hear from Him, Really'. Then a guy walks over to my seat. 'Can I see your book?' He takes a good look, flips through some pages. 'Talk to Him, hear from Him, Really' he repeats. He hands back the book, pauses for a while and ask 'Does God really speak to you?'
It's a like a carpet I'm standing on is unexpectedly removed from underneath. I'm shocked, I really don't know why. I give a drawling 'Yeeeeees!' as an answer after opening my mouth for some seven seconds.

MIRACLE

'I have waited for so long for miracle to come' that was Celine Dion, but honestly how long do we have to wait for our miracles. I'm class A homeless still sitting in the cold when someone I know through someone I know ( you get the drift but let's call him a friend cause he did only what friends do) came by. 'Hey. . . Hi' pleasantries exchanged. 'So why are you sitting here' he asks. I'm like. . . . I explain the situation - no where to lay my head. To cut it all short, I get on his car and leave behind my backdrop that would not suit any album cover.

ROOM

Right now I'm writing from a reading space in a room all to my self. There's music, a soft bed, a balcony with a great view. What more can I ask? And 'coincidentally' a song titled 'Room' by Rachael Lampa is playing softly via speakers as I try to wrap up this piece. Sincerely I feel blessed.
I will like to share something I read earlier from John Eldredge's 'Walking With God' which makes me look back and smile.
"Do you really, Jesus? Do you go on ahead of me?. . . . . God is there, but I'm doing my darnedest down here while he is sort of smiling down on me, not really engaged in the details. That view is not true of Him, and it is an awful way to live."
It's refreshing to know that the king of all the earth goes ahead of us to prepare a place in the day for us. . . To make room for us.
THE END :)

EPILOGUE - I WON'T COMPLlAIN

Friday, 4th February, 2011

Can it ever end?
That's the thought that comes to mind as I sit here and type away. It's been almost 3 weeks since I prepared the above post and I sincerely say, a lot has changed.
I left the room I was blessed with for some village far away. It's been a process. Sometimes I wake up in the morning thinking how did I get here?
A quote from Darlene Zchesh keeps haunting me all through the ordeal. It's from her entry for Joyce Meyer's 'Love Revolution' book. She talks about how she was encouraged by Pastor Bill Hybels message and I paraphrase ' We must not talk about and donate to the poor only, but we must also let poverty touch us'. It's easy to sit in our lush parlours in the city and send out something to missions or the needy but what if we step out to give the things money can't buy.
For the past three weeks I've been waking up in a community where children go hungry and parent wait for the next ray of hope. 'Will it ever get better?' is the question on their minds; if you take your time you would read it on their faces.
For me- I'm reminded more than ever that on my own I have nothing to give.
What can I give to satisfy the desire for hope in the heart of this people?
The children wave as I passby each morning. I wave back. Some times I draw near to give a smile and hold their hands on brilliant days sometimes I force a smile when things seems gray.
I won't complain. It's not about me. It's more about what God is doing in the grand scheme of things. That answers why I'm here.
Today as I pack to head out, I hear a mother detailing how life is so hard for her family to another mother. She longs for a better life. She tells of how she longs for the city and plans to run to a better life there. Standing at my window, my heart breaks as I hear the stories. As I head out, a smile originates from somewhere deep inside. It is soaked with the waters of compassion from my heart. I turn as I step out to wish them the best of the day. I go away. As I take a quick glance back, peaceful smiles crosses the mothers' faces. I'm thankful. If it's only a smile I have to give for now, it's okay. I won't complain.

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