Palm Sunday

I’m not a pastor, though surrounded by many and married to one. I just love the Lord and the way we do relationship is via words and deeds. He speaks and sends me messages, I understand and respond lovingly to Him…sometimes, I obey, other times I rationalise. But He knows me and understands me…what more could a girl ask for?! God is awe-amazing!

So, it’s Palm Sunday and many things have been said about today. But one that stood out for me was listening to Pastor Ifeanyi talk about the colt being tied up in an obscure place. It had never been used before, probably always ignored because according to the be-it-and-know-it-all, he doesn’t have anything to offer. Imagine, me (that colt) being called up, and prepared because the Master has need of me…omo! Small, ignored me being sought-for, hmmm…the Twitter world will get all the hashtags and I will trend as #TheColtJesusDrove #TheColt #NoLongerTiedUp #FreeToBeUsed #Untied2023…and many more.

As I listened to her give different scenarios of the many things that keep us tied, things that give us limited movement. Things that when we engage, we get pulled back into the same spot. I thought of the ones that have happened in my world and I gave God praise. So when Jesus has called for me and I am being led to Him, imagine the exhilarating feeling of freedom, only to leave my limited movement position and get into confusion in the name of a CROSSROAD, the place where two roads met.

When does it really end?

Will I ever be free, as in totally free to enjoy this liberty!? Well, the sooner I realise that being untied is not about me, but the One who needs my services, the better for me.

I’m off now to serve Him, as you lay your palms for me to walk on, I will keep raising my PALMS to Him in worship, in sweet surrender to the One who knows my end from my beginning.
I’ll keep raising my PALMS (hands) to the One who knows that this week will definitely be different and end with sounds of jubilation.
I raise my PALMS to the One who gives life to the many seeds that has been buried and given up for dead, because Sunday is going to be the time to RISE!

Happy Palm Sunday to you!

@imanikel 02042023 (c) Frances Kelvin Otung

Happy #IWD ❤️

What would the world be like without women? I wonder.
Lacking lustre without a doubt, on these I will not ponder.
Say not that I praise her because I am one…
But then you may not be far from the truth dearest one
Known for her ability to multiply seeds and bring ease
The world stands to benefit from her and find peace
Little wonder the Proverbs 31 woman may sound like myth
Yet a simply search and you find her in every midst
We’ve heard it said, “why so many days celebrating women?”
Deep down they realise what bore it would be with just men!
Don’t think for a second we would have it otherwise…no way!
With the men around we roll on all sides and sway!

Celebrating women everywhere and the men who are not afraid to have us in their space. It is not a man’s world, it is not a woman’s world.

It’s simply OURS!

Happy International Women’s Day

#EmbraceEquity

@imanikel 080323 (c) Frances Kelvin Otung

I Manifest Adonai’s Nature
#UnapologeticallyMe

Remembering Uncle Sam ❤️

“Remember” is not the word you use for someone unforgettable! You simply don’t go a day without reminiscing over something they did or said and even when you do, your life by default responds to what they would have said given the situation you find yourself.

Uncle Sam is present! He is not just present by being here through the legacy he built in lives and communities, for Kingdom and humanity, he is a PRESENT, a gift that we will always be thankful to God for.

When you passed on last year, I couldn’t bring myself to cry, I still haven’t. I went into shock because we had plans about uniting the family, rebuilding broken down altars and changing the few negative narratives around our families for good. Sometimes, when I think about our several conversations from my teenager years – how you encouraged me to speak up, how we would negotiate my ‘punishment’ because I dropped the ball concerning something you had said not to do…I smile. I’m always in your defence, telling all who cared to listen, that you are not a difficult person to live with as long as they obeyed your instructions. But they don’t believe me and truly never did stay long with you, but I did and our friendship (despite the age gap) grew till you passed on.

Being a voracious reader with no TV to watch back then (because you didn’t want one contaminating my values), I remember the look of disappointment on your face when you ‘caught’ me reading a James Hardley Chase! If anyone knows a “Chase” book, you would recall that the cover would definitely be that of a semi-clad woman. But like I told you in my defence, that it was a thriller and had no sexual thingy in it..and boy, I love thrillers! You still felt, the pictures were suggestive and would pollute the mind. You bi Deeperlife Pastor, what did I expect?! I particularly didn’t like the pictures either, but I needed to read the stories. So I resorted to taking off the back…or covering them with used calendar to avoid-stories-that-touch. I think eventually I stopped reading them whilst with you so I don’t feel guilty.

One of our favourite pastime were our conversations! You would ask me what I did during the day after school, write about my holiday when I returned from Port-Harcourt (it was in one of my “How I spent my holiday” that you learnt what I had been up to as I would give details) poor child, what did I know. I was just being myself, saying it the way it is. But these are the values I learnt from you, speaking the truth at all times and with boldness. Our conversations even after I had gotten married, was one that Oba couldn’t interrupt. LOL. He had his own special time with you.

I remember on one of your visits to see Daddy, you said to me, “you guys are still ‘disturbing’ popsie” and I responded, “you know your brother, he doesn’t know when to stop because as far as he is concerned, we will always be his children”. You continued that he still treats you guys as little brothers too even after marriage and children (and I wasn’t even married then) and we laughed conspiratorially because that’s Daddy for you.

Your commission to Ini and I to gather information and write about the family was never done. Will we do it? I don’t know, but one thing I do know is, I will keep sharing your values, the Word, listening to your VNs and reading the few chats I have left of you and remembering the Uncle who became a 2nd father to me.

Happy posthumous 70th birthday to you Uncle Sam, I miss you so much!

@imanikel 02032023 (c) Frances Kelvin Otung

I Manifest Adonai’s Nature
#UnapologeticallyMe

Watching as you Celebrate

Celebration is a time to let go and lose your mind (in a way). But there are certain Celebrations you have to watch, as you do. “Which ones”, you ask, I leave that choice to you! Thank you Colleen

©2016. Frances Kelvin Otung. All rights reserved

#TuesdayThoughts-Appreciation

I hear it’s my birthday today…No, I was told, I was born today many years ago…REWIND…It’s my birthday today…Yippeeeee! Doing the dance and loving it! This is me saying thank you, I appreciate you and I yob you (like my daughter used to say when she was a baby).

©2016. Frances Kelvin Otung. All right reserved

#WQWWC – Unity

It seems that the Universe always connives (positively) to celebrate with me personally. What better time to talk about Unity than now?

Two days ago we had the movie premiere for 93 Days at The Rock Cathedral. A gripping story of sacrifice, fight and victory against the spread of Ebola in Nigeria and it was tagged #Collaboration.

This week’s #WQWWC is on Unity and so I will try to capture the collaborative efforts in my poem. Let me know what you think about it.

©2016. Frances Kelvin Otung. All rights reserved

 

Celebrating my 3rd year

So I turned 3 today on WordPress.

I’m wondering like I always wonder on my birthdays, “what’s there to celebrate about?” But then, my other being which is always finding something in the midst of nothing begins to count and remind me all I should be grateful for.

I have made virtual friends and real ones. I believe I have touched lives positively, made a few laugh, some ponder and possibly retrace their steps (I hope). I have shared King-Earl’s ‘business’ here and his drawings, Imani’s too. My love for God, Oba, family and pictures is difficult to hide. I have tried to keep up with inspiration from my President FK, Colleen, Pst Wally and his memes LOL…you are in there somewhere too and you know it!

So this is me saying to you, thank you for always being on the other end of the line and for your responses. Thank you for the followership and faithfully reading even when I don’t make sense. Thank you my ‘Silent readers’ that never make a comment, yet complain to me when they meet me asking ‘Why I haven’t written lately’?.

It is because of people like you that the fun doesn’t stop! For these and more, I’m grateful and thank you ❤

©2016. Frances Kelvin Otung. All rights reserved

Celebrating Oba

I’m given to words easily (I’m a writer remember), words that I mean from my heart. The challenge therefore is when I lack words to describe what my heart feels, to paint the colors, design the picture, craft and create the atmosphere, so that all that read or pass by may experience what I felt, I’m feeling and will continue to feel as long as it is shared with one who knows the rhythm of my beat.

Does our beat always sync with the lyrics, flow with the beauty of petals wet with the morning dew or become like the smoothness of the covering dusk allowing stars shine through regardless of twilight? Does the storm say “I’ll just overlook these ones, they are too much in union and I can’t afford to disrupt that? No, my love.

Happy Birthday babes…
Today, I celebrate you for the gift that you are to me (no one needs to understand), what we share and the life that God daily loads you with. I celebrate the you that is yet-to-be-seen but I’ve experienced, I pray that this new year will bring you fulfillment in so many ways. May wisdom lighten your path and may the creativity that burns in you be expressed without inhibition. In all, may the One who loves us so, take the glory. I yob ❤ you and you know I’m truly nuts about every bit….

©2016. Frances Kelvin Otung. All rights reserved

And 5 came calling….

Again, he added another year and we were apart, like last year’s. I made online presence with him, made sure he had fun…you could tell he was super excited about being 5! Maybe, he’s already counting all the responsibilities or wishing that he’d meet up with his sister. I haven’t asked yet and might just let that slip. He woke up in a mood to draw, I’m yet to see what he drew to celebrate this milestone, but the steady gaze in his eyes as he played said one thing, ‘my baby is growing up’.

From wanting his hair to be AFRO like his dad (which was cut off on his birthday), to doing the break-dance and other moves, whilst making sure I watch every one he makes, as he jumps up and down the sitting room; whispering comforting words to my ears “the sky is your limit, mummy” and contesting with Oba for his babe…he calls me ‘Babes and sweetheart’ to keeping an eye on Mmeme’s baby. We went visiting and he positioned himself beside Mmeme and the baby, reason being I want to keep an eye on her!. You are such a joy to have around!

I’m looking forward to receiving them back shortly. But until then, I celebrate King-Earl Ethan Emmanuel and I’m grateful that God chose us to be the bearer of such gift. Need I say more, I yob you my baby and like you always say in codes “so much, so much”.

Daddy’s angels

A tale of 2 Kings

Sweetheart…

Meeting with the Dinosaur from afar!

Helping a brother out

Akan on the wheels

The ‘grown’ determined look

Akan aka Ak-Bobo

Queen Imani

©2016. Frances Kelvin Otung. All rights reserved

My Prof is 2!

King-Earl calls him “My mummy’s Prof”, His birth name is Eno-Itoro (meaning Gift of Praise) and so many other names. A miracle baby born in the midst of so many unseen battles, but he pulled through and came out smiling.
He showed up on April 1st
The fool’s day they call it
But the joke is on you
Cause a wise man came through
Bringing joy and beauty to all he meets
His laugh is so contagious
You forget about being religious!
He loves water, food is not spared
When it comes to daddy and cars, he just has to be heard!
Eno-Itoro, today we celebrate another year
It feels like you are 3 my dear
As you behave like one wiser beyond his age
For me, it is befitting for unwritten pages!

May all who see you grow be amazed
May the joy that comes natural to you affect them all
May you remain a gift for which praises will ascend
Daily to God for His goodness to your family and all
Happy 2nd birthday my Prof
In you I see God’s love proven

And even when you don’t give me fist bump anymore, I yob you so!

Prof’s Parents

A Prof that luvs cars…

With Big broda Eno-Idara

Ever smiling Eno-Itoro

Just being a baby!

Inquisitive and seeking…

How do I Look?

Prof just had to add his style

with Grand-ma, siblings and some cousins

Daddy’s boy!

Cool dude

Let’s go King-Earl

Smile King-Earl, we’ll be over with it soon

Hiding place

And he got a gift

Contagious Smile

Let’s cheese away auntie

The two Profs

Smiling from birth

Going to the occasion with you!

Men @ work!

Pinkie, leave me alone, I’m busy!

This I do declare, so help me God!

©2016. Frances Kelvin Otung. All rights reserved