How did we get here
So much tension in the air
Like poisonous gases
Empty flower vases
Formerly cherished beautiful flowers
Now all gone withered
Let's wake up from this slumber
And get ourselves together
Let's put an end to this drama
And focus on what really matters
Life indeed is very short
Let's re-unite
And live life to its very best.

Life is too short
Not to give your dreams a shot
Even many different shots
Don't just park them in the lot

Day by day
Layer by layer
Build up your dreams
Fasten them piece by piece

Pay no attention to naysayers
It's all in your hands
You either build or **** your dreams
There is no middle ground
Your decision today counts!

I have called you into a glorious life
I've put My glory all over you & inside you
Don't be deceived that the glory is lost
Because, forever, I have made it yours
Keep this always in your consciousness
Approach life with a mindset of blessedness
The glory would not obstruct challenges
But it guarantees victory over the obstacles
Go and produce results with what I've
deposited inside you. Go!

Gratitude is a door opener
Ungratefulness dims the eyes
Giving thanks brings helping hands
Appreciation paves the way for solutions
A grateful heart is well positioned to
receive even more.

At some points, you need to take a break
So that you don't reach your breaking point
Sometimes, to cover more grounds,
You need to slow down.

Why do I spend so much time worrying
such that I do not hear that You're talking
I'm aware You hold me dear to Your heart
But it's like I'm closer to this pain than I am to You
I know I ought to regard every other thing a liar
& believe Your Word alone to be true
Maybe my faith is truly as small as a mustard seed
and my doubts as big as a mountain
Maybe I'm living inside my head instead
of living in Your Word
Maybe I'm relying on my own strength
instead of committing it all to You
I know of a fact that the blame is not Yours
But here's my hand, help me Lord!

Love is the way has become a cliché
But if we can't love others as ourself,
Then we don't truly know what love is
And that will continue to be our shortcoming.

A world lacking in kindness
is a world that easily creates chaos
The greedier the people,
the lesser their regard for humanity.

I see a peaceful world in your eyes
No lies
I'm so enticed
What I see looks like paradise
I wanna look in those eyes everyday
I will do whatever it takes
Just to make you mine!

Of higher importance than
glowing and shining
Is actually possessing value

Diamond shines,
Some glass do as well
Their worth though,
you wouldn't compare

However, that doesn't mean
cheap is useless
The dollar stores are
multi-million dollars businesses

That which looks irrelevant
would have its niche of relevance
Bring out the value in it

Your eyeballs are shaped like a heart
I can see love in your eyes
I can feel the touch of your words
As they flow out of your heart

They say... Love is blind
Maybe that's not very true after all
We can both see our flaws
We iron them out and leave them behind

Love is not just something we feel
It's a decision we have made
Against all odds, we will keep our love tank filled
Maybe that's why I am not falling in love with you
Rather, I am rising in love with you!

Chaos and uncertainties in the world
It's time to sharpen my sword the more
I mean spending more time in the Word
Studying & meditating on the Scriptures
To stand strong & firm from being tossed
by all the news and happenings around
To saturate my mind with peace that
comes from above
It's time to be immersed in the Word.

Let us not wait for turns in doing good
Even if nobody notices, do it regardless
Be the one person to clean up the mess
It's an opportunity to be blessed

It's more convenient to take flight from a scene
Than shed light on the scene
Whatever we do; to flee or assist...is a seed
That soon comes with a reap
Let's do the best we can do
'cause at the end, it's for our own good!

Silence sometimes speaks volume
Politicians have proved that
Speech can be greatly deceiving

Silence can be very harmful
Couples who have chosen not to speak
will easily agree to that

I think it's fair to say that
Most things in life requires balance
Not too far to the left, neither to the right.

Even in the challenging times of life
There's usually something to be grateful for
And gratitude opens closed doors
It's also a matter of one's focus –
Is it on a seemingly big problem or
an omnipotent God?

Why wait for the light at the end
of the tunnel, when the one in
the tunnel has great light on the inside.
Shine bright, that's what you've been
called to do.

What is it about money
that turns best buddies into worst enemies,
turns brothers into one another's hater (or even killer)
So many chase money while losing family
It makes me question if money truly brings happiness?
I've heard of very wealthy people who
committed suicide
I've seen poor people living happily
Surely there is more to life than money
Still on the subject of money,
Is life incomplete without it?
Is life complete with a lot of it?

Letting go isn't always easy
Cutting strings however brings freedom (sometimes)
Breaking free from people or things often leads to gaining self
If it hurts more than it pleases,
Let it out like a heavy sneeze,
It is usually done with closed eyes
After its release comes relief
What is that thing causing grief,
Maybe it is time for its release.

It honestly makes no sense
For someone to think that
they are superior to others or
think some others are inferior
in the name of the things
they didn't choose
in the first place

Was anyone ever presented
with a checklist to determine
their skin color, gender, height,
place of birth or any of those
before their birth?

Attempting to prove superiority
is a sign of critically low self-esteem
We are all humans
regardless our physical, spiritual or
cultural differences
This is my message to the world.

I'm in total control of my emotions
You can't rub your feelings on me like a lotion
You can't even stop here, it's not a station
So now, let me see you in motion

I thought you were cool
Now I see clearly that you are such a crook
The gentle look is just a cloak
Who would believe you are a good looking nuke

Why do I need a sword
When I can wield my words
Words are potent weaponry
saved in the mind like a revolver
fired through the mouth or by a pen
Capable of being used for defense
Even though it's better used
as a means to positive ends.

Touring goes beyond visiting places
It also includes meeting different faces
And yes, I saw a number of places & faces,
But there was this one face in particular
(She happened to be my tour leader)
There's a way she talks and smiles
simultaneously that's so spectacular
It comes out of her unforced, it's so natural

Knowledgeable, passionate, calm
And very compassionate she was.
She told stories of the different places
we visited fluently & impeccably
Severally, she pulled laughs out of me
And filled me back with delicious meals

An icing on the cake was hearing her
tell her own personal story
A story of resilience and bouncing back.
$30 in her pocket at age seventeen,
With no single English word in her mouth
She packed her backpack, moved from Asia to America alone, & the States did hit
her in the face with reality

Down times and low moments couldn't
keep her down, at least not for long
Uneasy but She fought & pushed through
Weathered the storm...
Became an Author (The $30 Journey),
a motivator & above all, a happy person.
She rubbed her joyfulness & positivity on me

It was a 3-day journey like none other,
I'm looking forward to another.

Joy like a river in my soul
It's filled up every hole
Makes me feel so whole
Riding in joy like a boat
It's a wonderful feeling oh oh oh

The Lord is my root
His word... my truth
His praises... my flute
His thoughts... my muse
His promises... my contemplation
His joy... my strength
His yard... my refuge
His supply... my source
His hand... my shield
His love... my everything!

No competition
Self-fulfillment is the goal
Running my race with dedication
My skills, I strive to hone
I came out of Mama's womb alone
My life's my own
My path, I'll thread
I'll outdo my previous best
I'll try not to fret
The only competition is with myself.

What does it mean to be truly living
Is it just by merely breathing
There should be more to it than just surviving

There must be a purpose to this life
Every creature must have a reason for its creation
There ought to be a question to which I'm a solution
My first question gotta be to find THE question

No question, no answer
No answer, no success
No success, no fulfillment
No fulfillment, no living!

How do you celebrate my birthday
Without mentioning my name
I wonder if this is how Jesus feels.
Instead of spreading My message
Majority are engrossed in shopping deals
True celebration is the celebration of salvation
We (humans) 're the reason for the season
The reason for which Jesus left His throne,
Was born, went through pain, died, arose
(And in the process)
Paid for our sins, set us free,
delivered to us a new life,
made us One with Himself & with the Father
This is what Christmas is.
The celebration of freedom from sin
& ushering of divinity into humanity.

That you come in peace
Doesn't mean they wouldn't want to rip you into pieces
Regardless, love always wins
Be quick to forgive their sins
Protect your inner peace by every means

Despite all my flaws
You did not withdraw your love
When I think about you
My jaw hit the floor

I've acted stupid
Yet, you remained placid
I've done things I'm not proud of
Still, you refused to be turned off

Sometimes, I think this love is untrue
'cause I would be way gone, if I was you
I have said and done things unbelievable
But, you love me still!

Every night transitions into
a bright beautiful morning
I know someone might say...
Well, beauty is quite relative.
My question then would be...
Isn't life also about perspective?

A seed has to be given up
to the soil to become a plant
Water is lost from the earth for rain to fall
Often times, we make conclusions just from seeing partial/incomplete pictures

The eyes can reveal
Emotions that the mouth
Cannot speak!

There're certain blessings that we enjoy daily
And often times, we take them for granted
Isn't it a blessing —
To breathe in natural air without any worry
To see trees, buildings, movies and be able to read this
To hear the different sounds of life
To put food down the belly with no assistance
To leave the house and return home safely
These things clearly sound simple
But many around the world pray for one or more of these.

See...
I believe you haven't come this far
just to come this far
It's imperative that you see,
The road ahead is brighter than it seems
Do not let go of your dreams
When the terrain changes,
Don't quit, rather change your vehicle
Embrace the challenges,
Within it lies the breakthrough
It all depends on how you see what you see.

No matter how tough your skin is,
When people trample on your nerves
Sometimes you'll get angry or upset
It's blood that flows through those veins
Which makes it totally fine to be ******
But you need to fix into your mouth a sieve
Because you can't afford to speak amiss
An unintended irrational speech
discharged cannot be easily retrieved
Even if agitated within like a boiling water
It's safer to stay calm on the surface
like an undisturbed sea
That's one way to safeguard your peace!

I can't rely on my own strength
My abilities come totally from
The One who gives me my breathe
Of course, faith without work is dead
But it won't be by my power nor might
but His instead

I had relied on my own wisdom before
Into several pieces, I was utterly torn
Tired and worn
Thereafter into His will for me, I turned
That doesn't mean absence of storms
But even in the midst of it,
His peace keeps me fastened.

The cares of this world has
driven so many into the abyss
Buy this, buy that!
A newer version of _ is out
You know you can finance it
$0 down payment, 0% interest rate
That's bills piling on bills
Pressure to take on double shifts
or maybe multiple overtime
causing the mind to race and go wild
To live a simple life is to be free
Unattached to these material things that
come like a storm & fade out just as fast
With or without these things,
life is still beautiful,
it's a function of how you see.

The wrongs that I can't right,
I write
Somehow, it makes the burden light
It helps shine light
In the times that feel like night

If we were to see the master plan of our lives
Maybe we'll learn to live one day at a time
Maybe we'll put an end to all the strife
Maybe we'll close our eyes to sleep more at night
Maybe we'll spend more time with family and friends
Maybe we'll stop USING one another as means to an end

Or maybe the reverse would be the case
Maybe it'll cause ache way before its time
Maybe we'll try to avoid the mistakes that should help us grow
Maybe it's better to not know
Maybe or maybe not, who really knows!

Togetherness begins by being one with self
A broken piece joined to another broken piece results into a chaotic mass
A wound not healed within isn't healed,
no matter how it appears on the surface
A collective goal requires individual efforts
A journey to a better world begins first with self
Blame games are lame games
To achieve unity, make the first move.

Papa was an embodiment of love and wisdom
Any time spent with him left you refreshed and replenished
His smiles, his laughs, his words were that of a kind soul
Even though we're not happy to see you go
Your memories and impact on our lives can never be forgotten, rest on Grandpa.