Favvy_Okwans🖤

On Sunday, my church hosted a banquet. I knew it would run late into the night, but I also had my daily Proverbs review session at 9 PM. A few minutes before the session, the banquet ended, and I started heading home. I had a review session to hold, but I had not prepared as I usually do. So, I had a thought, since we barely knew each other in the group, I asked those available to introduce themselves. Then, I suggested that for the new month, we would start with the book of Ecclesiastes before returning to Proverbs. Trust me, the session was fun and engaging. However, it was far from convenient for me. I was heading home late at night, and I could not find any motorcycle willing to go to my street since it was far and somewhat hidden. I was exhausted but had to board a tricycle instead, which only dropped me a short distance from my street. The path was dark and deserted. As I walked home, I knew it was unwise to use my phone on such a lonely path at night. But I had a ses...

"Pain always takes people on a journey, and the journey is not linear. It's a cycle." — AFL A poet I love once wrote, "The thing about pain is that it doesn't last forever. It kills you right now, but with time, it gets better." Now, that "gets better" occurs in two ways: 1. You heal from the pain and move on. 2. You sweep the pain under the carpet, and it becomes like a recurring decimal in your life, triggered over and over again (which is very likely). You see that ignored pain? The one swept under the carpet, the one avoided? It forms a cycle. No wonder we become the very thing we hated. The pain that leads to hate will, in turn, lead us into it. So we end up trapped in an unending skit show because we ignored the pain when we should have embraced and healed from it. Dearest reader, pain and trauma lead to a kind of rage or anger. If this anger comes from understanding, then it's valid, but if not, you might end up playing the s...

Many a time, I find myself wondering how a rib transcended into this seamless, divine piece of art called Woman. Not divine just because of outward beauty, but because her very essence speaks volumes of her Creator’s prowess. And often, when I look at her, I am reminded of the words: "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." Without a second thought, I would stake an entire generation to say that her heart holds more beauty than we could ever comprehend, for she speaks of grace and embodies it. And somehow, these words had to be penned, because the weight of carrying them unsaid is far greater than a heart pretending it can fly when it knows it can only fall. And sometimes, she stands before the mirror, wondering when she will be good enough, not realizing she already is that she was made whole, needing no validation. She was made for more more than closing the gaps in a fractured society. And she doesn’t need the most perfectly crafted words to reali...

"You cannot prepare enough for the inevitable." — Ava Some things in life are inevitable, and we often recognize them. That is why it is common wisdom to prepare for the inevitable, to do all you can so that when it happens, you are not caught off guard. However, Ava argues that no matter how much preparation is put in place, when the inevitable occurs, you will still feel its impact. So why prepare at all if the impact is unavoidable? Ava explains that the purpose of preparation is to mitigate the situation. Without it, things could be far worse. Imagine two people going to war, Mr. A and Mr. B. Mr. A is equipped with the right weapons, while Mr. B has none. Both will likely sustain injuries on the battlefield, but Mr. A’s chances of survival are significantly higher. Meanwhile, Mr. B would be left completely vulnerable, possibly even killed outright. So yes, I agree with Ava. Preparation only gives an edge. The inevitable remains the inevitable. Dearest reader, ...

"You can escape God through morality and religion as much as you can escape God through immorality." — X It’s funny how we often do things to please God, acting a certain way so He won’t be mad, yet our hearts are not truly right with Him. But really, this kind of hypocritical behavior isn’t entirely our fault. What we were taught in children’s church about God often makes us see Him as an easily angered Father, one who demands strict moral uprightness and adherence to a set of doctrines, even if we don’t understand them. I once read that if the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward, then that person is a piece of shit. Think about it: if you weren’t bound by a set of rules or expectations, would you still behave the way you do? Would you still do the things you do? Honestly, the majority of us wouldn’t. And to some extent, I’d be part of that majority. Our relationship with God often feels shallow because we don’t truly understand...

It is currently family month at my church, and it has been insightful. One of the sessions in the series of teachings on family that particularly stood out for me was the talk show session. Pastor Phil said, and I quote, "To build a family that lasts, the family has to stay in God." I found this utterly profound and reasoned that it does not apply only to families. Like he explained, take a fish out of water and watch it die. That is exactly what happens when you try to build anything void of its original design. It will not work, no matter the effort. God is the design. He has the original template. Therefore, it is useless and worthless to attempt creating according to His design without His design. Abi not? God is a family man. And the reason He placed us in families is: 1. Love 2. Identity But He who did the placing had a plan, right? Now, will the ordeal be successful if its very essence is neglected? Of course not! So the point is, are you at a roadblock? Ar...