Dreams come true; I know your heart is laden with the heavy burden of an idea, plan, vision or mandate, you run with a pure passion to fulfill purpose and your quest for relevance has become a source of motivation. In the night season, when the imaginations of your heart are seeking for a voice, crying to be heard and begging to be seen, be rest assured that your restlessness is divinely ordained.
Dreams come true; although doubt may plague your mind, her vicious grip choking the faith right out of you, the bitter memories of yesterday’s fall leaves you trembling in dismay, and wondering if you labor in vain expectation, be strong in believe, for greater feats have been achieved by men of smaller frames, and the one who gave the dream will surely bring it to pass.
Dreams come true; and in bright and vivid pictures too. It doesn’t really matter how lofty or ludicrous yours may be. So whether it is to be president or pope, baker or barrister, if your desire is noble, you will inspire the divine force that drives dreams into reality.
Dreams come true; yes, all things are possible! So vanquish your fear, for your faith will find expression in tangible substance. You will awake in the morning to a song of celebration, as life’s delicacy will be laid before you in an open invitation to a glorious feast of fulfillment.
Dreams come true; they may be processed in the incubator of time, delayed but will not be denied, because eventually, time will unfold, whether in a minute or in a millennium, the Heavens will open, God will remember you and Destiny will happen!
(c) Tochi Eze
Friday, July 22, 2011
A LESSON ON FORGIVENESS!
Life throws you hard punches, painful blows that are hardly ever fair. Often times you are betrayed by the people you love, our trust is breached and our pride is bruised. Things happen that leaves us hurt and we are left to heal in the embers of time; unfortunately, time heals the wound but doesn’t always clear the scars and so you are stuck with the glaring consequence of a painful past.
How do you even begin to deal with issues that tears at the security of your heart? How does a man handle the infidelity of his wife? I mean you take an oath for better or worse yet nothing really prepares you for the sharp stab of pain that comes from catching your wife physically entangled with your home plumber. Perhaps that is a tad extreme, not everybody experiences that in a lifetime yet we all have our personal betrayals and bouts of depression.
Parents betray Children and vice versa, bestfriends lie or suddenly change, a business partner dupes you, colleagues frame you up at work, someone steps on you in the market, the customer rep in the bank talks rudely to you…Sometimes it almost seems the world is out to ruin your good intentions, but in all of this I have learnt to deal with unwholesome situations not the way I feel but as God in his word would have me respond. Basically, to FORGIVE!!!
Let me share something I have learnt, Forgiveness is not the aftermath of an apology and it is not always served best with a hot meal of repentance; Forgiveness is a higher dimension of faith, an expression of the ultimate command of love, and a gift to the offender but moreso to yourself. It is a Bold assertion of spiritual maturity and it bears with it complete healing and restoration from all the hurts.
Granted, it is no small a feat but look at it from the perspective a friend shared with me ‘we have been forgiven to forgive’ Yes, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. I don’t know what it is you’ve been through and I will not presume to put myself in your shoes, but I will tell you one thing, your ability to forgive is a major factor in your Life’s growth.
So whether you were sexually abused by a family member as a child,
LET IT GO!
Your spouse was and is still cheating on you,
LET IT GO!
Your pastor/cell leader takes advantage of you,
LET IT GO!
You’ve been spited, slighted and gossiped about,
LET IT GO!
You experienced a major breakup for which you did nothing,
LET IT GO!
Often misjudged, misinterpreted, misinformed,
LET IT ALL GO!!
Take a decision to love regardless of whatever; it is an act of faith and one that Heaven does not overlook. To do otherwise will amount to a Life of unfruitfulness; like a tree planted by rivers of water yet only decays.
Do it for the offender, do it for God and do it for yourself.
© Tochi Eze
July 15th 2011
How do you even begin to deal with issues that tears at the security of your heart? How does a man handle the infidelity of his wife? I mean you take an oath for better or worse yet nothing really prepares you for the sharp stab of pain that comes from catching your wife physically entangled with your home plumber. Perhaps that is a tad extreme, not everybody experiences that in a lifetime yet we all have our personal betrayals and bouts of depression.
Parents betray Children and vice versa, bestfriends lie or suddenly change, a business partner dupes you, colleagues frame you up at work, someone steps on you in the market, the customer rep in the bank talks rudely to you…Sometimes it almost seems the world is out to ruin your good intentions, but in all of this I have learnt to deal with unwholesome situations not the way I feel but as God in his word would have me respond. Basically, to FORGIVE!!!
Let me share something I have learnt, Forgiveness is not the aftermath of an apology and it is not always served best with a hot meal of repentance; Forgiveness is a higher dimension of faith, an expression of the ultimate command of love, and a gift to the offender but moreso to yourself. It is a Bold assertion of spiritual maturity and it bears with it complete healing and restoration from all the hurts.
Granted, it is no small a feat but look at it from the perspective a friend shared with me ‘we have been forgiven to forgive’ Yes, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. I don’t know what it is you’ve been through and I will not presume to put myself in your shoes, but I will tell you one thing, your ability to forgive is a major factor in your Life’s growth.
So whether you were sexually abused by a family member as a child,
LET IT GO!
Your spouse was and is still cheating on you,
LET IT GO!
Your pastor/cell leader takes advantage of you,
LET IT GO!
You’ve been spited, slighted and gossiped about,
LET IT GO!
You experienced a major breakup for which you did nothing,
LET IT GO!
Often misjudged, misinterpreted, misinformed,
LET IT ALL GO!!
Take a decision to love regardless of whatever; it is an act of faith and one that Heaven does not overlook. To do otherwise will amount to a Life of unfruitfulness; like a tree planted by rivers of water yet only decays.
Do it for the offender, do it for God and do it for yourself.
© Tochi Eze
July 15th 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
THE PLAGUE OF INDECISION
Man is an unconscious product of his thought process, and his life is a mirrored reflection of his decision making. Every thing about your life is hinged on a decision, be it the choice of a life partner, a career path, or better still, the journey to your life’s purpose. We live in a world where choices rule tomorrow, and seldom will a man attain any great feat, without having to first take a decision or a stand.
All these truths, and yet, indecision is a disease that has plagued the human mind for as long as time. It seems that so many of us journey through life as spectators, too afraid to jump into the pitch and play the game.
I don’t know what major step it is that you have to take or why you are finding it so difficult to commit to that good cause. How long will you fold your hands and expect lightening to strike you and say ‘ this is the way’?
Friends, time and chance is too much of a risk for you to leave your destiny to them, you can get a grip on the handle of your life by the choices you make.
Scripture speaking says, ‘ I have set before you life and death, choose ye life, that you make live’. Don’t you see that you were neither destined to live nor die, you were destined to Choose! Your choices determine your consequences, and as such we must strive to make the right decision, hinged on sound moral, biblical principles.
Now, haven known the importance of choices in shaping our outcomes, why still dance around the mountain of options? Haven been presented with life and death, why must we think it over a cup of tea? Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you shouldn’t investigate your facts and table out your findings, but having done all our homework, why do we relent in crossing the red sea?
Indecision is a war I have fought for most of my life, and I am slowly winning the war, basically because I came to address one of the major reasons for my indecision…Fear!
What is it that makes a seven year old child so certain that he would be a pilot when he grows up, and yet a boardroom executive cannot make a decision as to the out turn of a meeting? Could it be because the child is yet untainted with the harsh realities of life? Has our knowledge, exposure and experience become our greatest limitations? We so much fear the consequence of a wrong choice and so we settle for a worse lot which is no choice at all.
We need to understand that the earth is constantly in motion, and I doubt if creation will wait for you to make up your mind. Sometimes, we need to embrace the blind gullibility of our childhood again, otherwise called Faith, believing in yourself, your dreams and the power of God answered prayers.
That business idea may never kick off if you keep weighing the risk of failure, that project will likely not be implemented, if you don’t get up and Go for it, either way, whatever action you take towards the actualization of your destiny, must start with a decision.
So get up dear, Get up right now…commit that plan to God, and go make it happen!
With love and laughter,
© Tochi Eze
15th April 2011.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TEAM PLAYER
First, let me start by saying that the earth has been structured to function and operate in teams. Now let me shock you further, the world wasn’t created by God alone,…it was created by his team.
‘ and God said, LET US make man in OUR image and after OUR likeness’ GENESIS. Before that the Holy Spirit, we are told hovered over the deep, before the word went forth.
Secondly, man being designed to look and act like God, was made to function in teams. ‘ it is not good for man to be alone, I will make him another helper’ GENESIS.
Contrary to most of our belief, team work is not limited to sport pitches or work schedules/tasks. No, team work permeates everyday of our every day living. Every man therefore is a potential team player.
Now before you would wonder why you would even want to be a team player, let’s look at some of the essential benefits of team work.
· Division of labor
· Pooling of resources
· Mutual encouragement and motivation
· Companionship
There we have it, so back to the point of this write-up; what are the characteristics of a good team player?
1.He knows the game: it has been said that when the purpose of a thing is not known, it’s abuse is inevitable. It is therefore pertinent, that at every stage or project of your life, you must know your purpose and your relevance there. A good team player must understand the project at hand, whether it be marriage, ministry, business partnership or a work related task.
2.He knows his teammates: ‘shall two walk together except they agree’ AMOS, Jesus Christ speaking says ‘I and my Father are one’. This basically connotes intimacy. There are no two ways about it, you simply cannot work with someone you don’t know, and I mean a tested and applied knowledge. Knowledge of your teammates helps you draw out their strengths and make up for their excesses.
3.He is willing to share: A good team player must be a lover, a giver and a sharer. Jesus Christ speaking says ‘all that my father has, he has given to me’. Whether it be in the form of ideas in the workplace or valued time in consensual relationships, each team player must be willing to let go and let his team member get.
4.He must sacrifice: ‘for God so loved the world, that He gave us his only begotten son’ JOHN. That same begotten son gave up his only begotten life, both sacrifices made at no small cost. A good team player knows how to put the needs of others above his, especially where it is sure to yield a far weightier glory.
5.He does his best: A good team player does al he knows to do, suffers long, endures hardships , misunderstanding and sometimes even betrayals by his fellow team mates, but he takes it all in good stride, he ensure that his side of the out put is not affected by all these, he put his best effort to ensure that the project is carried through.
6.He sees it through: Just before he gave up the ghost, Jesus Christ said ‘it is finished’. A good team player will never pull out of an uncompleted task. It is against his values because it is an ultimate sign of failure. He is in it from start to finish, in his marriage for instance, there is NO such thing as divorce.
7.He gets his credit: team work is always rewarded, and a good team player will always be accorded honor and recognition for the contributions and sacrifices he made.
There is always a reward!
Team work is essential to vital living, you were born alone, granted, but you were not made to function alone.
© Toch Eze. JANUARY 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
THE PROCESS OF TIME
...And God said to Abraham being 75 at the time, leave your home to the place I will show you and I will make you into a great nation.
Isaac eventually was born by Sarah to Abraham who was a 100 years of age at the time. Now, I don’t know about you but 25 years seems like a heck of a long time to keep a promise, however what marvels me was not the fact that the promise eventually came to be, but rather the endurance level of Abraham, who no doubt deserves an award of 25 years of confident belief, loyalty.My focus on this article is neither on Abraham nor the promise but on the 25 years waiting period.
Those 25 years represent a lengthy and uncertain period of expectancy, those 25 years represent an opportunity to stand at the edge of a mountain with a risk of falling, they represent the fear and possibility of broken dreams and unfulfilled expectations, they represent an opportunity for self development and enlargement to accommodate the promise, they represent a firm decision to stand resolute in your belief, for a better future, better hope and a better nation, those 25 years represent the uncomfortable situation that most of us are going through, those 25 years have a name and it is called ‘ the process of time’.
Sure enough, it is a necessary junction in our journey of life, some of us have been there and most of us are still there. I’d like to point out that the process of time is not a waste of time, it is merely a pause in transit to enable us offload our excesses and refuel for the journey ahead.
Don’t despise your process of time, and more importantly, don’t let any one despise your process of time. Don’t even think about compromising your values because that vision will come through and that mountain will be made low. It takes patience to stay in the process of time because like all other processes, it involves procedures.
Friend, I have just one message for you, DON’T GIVE UP! Hold unto your dream. Hold unto your belief, hold unto that promise. That is the virtue of success. Keep the faith fire burning, like any process, whether 2 months or 25 years, the time limit will come, and just like any vision with an appointed time, all we are expected to do is write and wait.
© Tochi Eze 2011
Isaac eventually was born by Sarah to Abraham who was a 100 years of age at the time. Now, I don’t know about you but 25 years seems like a heck of a long time to keep a promise, however what marvels me was not the fact that the promise eventually came to be, but rather the endurance level of Abraham, who no doubt deserves an award of 25 years of confident belief, loyalty.Those 25 years represent a lengthy and uncertain period of expectancy, those 25 years represent an opportunity to stand at the edge of a mountain with a risk of falling, they represent the fear and possibility of broken dreams and unfulfilled expectations, they represent an opportunity for self development and enlargement to accommodate the promise, they represent a firm decision to stand resolute in your belief, for a better future, better hope and a better nation, those 25 years represent the uncomfortable situation that most of us are going through, those 25 years have a name and it is called ‘ the process of time’.
Sure enough, it is a necessary junction in our journey of life, some of us have been there and most of us are still there. I’d like to point out that the process of time is not a waste of time, it is merely a pause in transit to enable us offload our excesses and refuel for the journey ahead.
Don’t despise your process of time, and more importantly, don’t let any one despise your process of time. Don’t even think about compromising your values because that vision will come through and that mountain will be made low. It takes patience to stay in the process of time because like all other processes, it involves procedures.
Friend, I have just one message for you, DON’T GIVE UP! Hold unto your dream. Hold unto your belief, hold unto that promise. That is the virtue of success. Keep the faith fire burning, like any process, whether 2 months or 25 years, the time limit will come, and just like any vision with an appointed time, all we are expected to do is write and wait.
© Tochi Eze 2011
Friday, December 10, 2010
Leadership SECRETS( part 1)
How on earth did a slave from a foreign land wind up as prime minister? If we can unravel this mystery then we would finally understand the concept of Leadership.
Joseph was a man of like passions, his journey from home to a strange land and then to the prison is quite conventional, save for the fact that we don’t end up as prime ministers. I have had course to meditate on the rise to power of Joseph, and how someone who ordinarily should have a slave mentality or at least be somewhat bitter and resentful could emerge as one of the greatest administrators of his time. Now, there is a school of thought that Joseph attained his height of success because he had a peculiar dream and destiny, my question then is…who doesn’t? we are all born with peculiar destinies and we all nurse our distinct dreams.
Again, having acknowledged that it took more than two dreams to land Joseph at his desired and pre ordained destination, I had to admit that it was not just the dream, it was the life and habits of the dreamer. Leadership is therefore not a position, but a state of existence that is reflected in the daily and deliberate practice of a man.
The second question then is, what was the daily and deliberate practice of Joseph that landed him at the Palace?
1. Joseph had a Dream; we already established this right? We also agreed that it’s not so strange to us. Most of us are already good at this, infact we are a little too good at dreaming,
2. He knew the source of his Dream. The source of your dream determines the cost of your dream. Right from inception, he knew that he had a divine God ordained call to lead and he pursued this call not out of selfish ambition or pride but rather out of a desire to fulfill God’s purpose for his life.
3. He was confident; he didn’t allow his position in his family to affect his dream life, the limitations imposed on him by virtue of his birth position was merely biological and it did not affect his mindset. He was a second to last child but he definitely had a second to none mentality.
4. He was obedient and serviceable: he willingly took food to his brothers even though he knew they were his No. 1 dream killers
5. He was humble; he immediately adapted to the role of a slave rather than being rebellious and resentful.
6. He feared, loved and walked with God; this reflected in his high moral values and principles, the fact that he said no to pharaoh’s wife even though it would have landed him a promotion
7. He was optimistic; he knew the prison was not his last point of call
8. He was industrious; he employed his gifts even among his prison guards and wards.
9. He had a forgiving heart: in that he readily forgave and took back his brothers who dealt him the highest form of betrayal, that in itself was an unusual test of character and landed him the liberation to truly break out from the chains of the past hurts.
There is indeed no doubt in my mind, that if one can carefully study these habits and practices of Joseph, his Greatness will not only be inevitable but will also be uncompromisable!
Joseph was a man of like passions, his journey from home to a strange land and then to the prison is quite conventional, save for the fact that we don’t end up as prime ministers. I have had course to meditate on the rise to power of Joseph, and how someone who ordinarily should have a slave mentality or at least be somewhat bitter and resentful could emerge as one of the greatest administrators of his time. Now, there is a school of thought that Joseph attained his height of success because he had a peculiar dream and destiny, my question then is…who doesn’t? we are all born with peculiar destinies and we all nurse our distinct dreams.
Again, having acknowledged that it took more than two dreams to land Joseph at his desired and pre ordained destination, I had to admit that it was not just the dream, it was the life and habits of the dreamer. Leadership is therefore not a position, but a state of existence that is reflected in the daily and deliberate practice of a man.
The second question then is, what was the daily and deliberate practice of Joseph that landed him at the Palace?
1. Joseph had a Dream; we already established this right? We also agreed that it’s not so strange to us. Most of us are already good at this, infact we are a little too good at dreaming,
2. He knew the source of his Dream. The source of your dream determines the cost of your dream. Right from inception, he knew that he had a divine God ordained call to lead and he pursued this call not out of selfish ambition or pride but rather out of a desire to fulfill God’s purpose for his life.
3. He was confident; he didn’t allow his position in his family to affect his dream life, the limitations imposed on him by virtue of his birth position was merely biological and it did not affect his mindset. He was a second to last child but he definitely had a second to none mentality.
4. He was obedient and serviceable: he willingly took food to his brothers even though he knew they were his No. 1 dream killers
5. He was humble; he immediately adapted to the role of a slave rather than being rebellious and resentful.
6. He feared, loved and walked with God; this reflected in his high moral values and principles, the fact that he said no to pharaoh’s wife even though it would have landed him a promotion
7. He was optimistic; he knew the prison was not his last point of call
8. He was industrious; he employed his gifts even among his prison guards and wards.
9. He had a forgiving heart: in that he readily forgave and took back his brothers who dealt him the highest form of betrayal, that in itself was an unusual test of character and landed him the liberation to truly break out from the chains of the past hurts.
There is indeed no doubt in my mind, that if one can carefully study these habits and practices of Joseph, his Greatness will not only be inevitable but will also be uncompromisable!
Monday, November 15, 2010
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
Almost everyone nurses some sort of dream, vision, ambition or passion as the case may be, however we are soon discouraged and limited by our prevalent situations. Life is often about bridging that gap between your (sight) where you presently are and your (vision) where you want to be. What ensures that we reach our destination or otherwise is not the economic situation, family background or even relationship status, it is our ATTITUDE.
By ‘attitude’, I mean a general positive and productive disposition towards things and life in general. Sometimes we embark on a journey or project with so much enthusiasm, with little more than a dream and a gift or skill as the case may be, just like Joseph the son of Jacob. We often dream but we don’t calculate and just like Joseph we fall victim to envious peers, colleagues and family, we confront that bait that entices us to compromise our values, and no matter how right the decisions we take in life are, we often end up in prison.
The truth is, what guarantees you success is not the nobility of your actions but the carriage of the right attitude. It was Joseph’s attitude towards life and as regards his gift that translated his prison into his palace.
Your attitude affects everything. It affects the way you carry yourself. Joseph had the carriage of a leader even though he was one of the least in his household, and regardless of the fact that he was exposed to slavery at an early age by his brothers. He became the leader in prison because he embraced the secret of promotion, which is to always put in your best even in a worst case scenario.
Your attitude determines the way you see, while others saw the prison as a cage that locked them away from their freedom, Joseph decided to see the prison as a perfect platform to express his gifting.
His attitude did not pay off ‘immediately’, but it paid off big time.
The next time life throws you into that very uneasy and uncomforting situation, like it did to me only recently, rather than grumble and be bitter, why don’t you put on the right attitude, an attitude for success, increase and breakthrough. It doesn’t mean the road will not be bumpy, but you sure will enjoy the ride and even if you don’t hit the destination target, you definitely will be ahead of the park. What looks like a difficult and impossible situation may well announce you to the king’s presence.
Finally, I leave you with this food for thought. the prison is not a place to wail and moan, it is not a place to idle away, don’t waste or underestimate the people you meet in your prison, they may well be your network out of there. Wear a smile, be proactive, watch and pray and most importantly always give thanks.
© Tochi Eze Nov 2010.
By ‘attitude’, I mean a general positive and productive disposition towards things and life in general. Sometimes we embark on a journey or project with so much enthusiasm, with little more than a dream and a gift or skill as the case may be, just like Joseph the son of Jacob. We often dream but we don’t calculate and just like Joseph we fall victim to envious peers, colleagues and family, we confront that bait that entices us to compromise our values, and no matter how right the decisions we take in life are, we often end up in prison.
The truth is, what guarantees you success is not the nobility of your actions but the carriage of the right attitude. It was Joseph’s attitude towards life and as regards his gift that translated his prison into his palace.
Your attitude affects everything. It affects the way you carry yourself. Joseph had the carriage of a leader even though he was one of the least in his household, and regardless of the fact that he was exposed to slavery at an early age by his brothers. He became the leader in prison because he embraced the secret of promotion, which is to always put in your best even in a worst case scenario.
Your attitude determines the way you see, while others saw the prison as a cage that locked them away from their freedom, Joseph decided to see the prison as a perfect platform to express his gifting.
His attitude did not pay off ‘immediately’, but it paid off big time.
The next time life throws you into that very uneasy and uncomforting situation, like it did to me only recently, rather than grumble and be bitter, why don’t you put on the right attitude, an attitude for success, increase and breakthrough. It doesn’t mean the road will not be bumpy, but you sure will enjoy the ride and even if you don’t hit the destination target, you definitely will be ahead of the park. What looks like a difficult and impossible situation may well announce you to the king’s presence.
Finally, I leave you with this food for thought. the prison is not a place to wail and moan, it is not a place to idle away, don’t waste or underestimate the people you meet in your prison, they may well be your network out of there. Wear a smile, be proactive, watch and pray and most importantly always give thanks.
© Tochi Eze Nov 2010.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)