The Lover’s Recipe

While everyone around the world was basking in the euphoria of the acclaimed love day (Valentine’s Day), Penspeak Community UNIZIK got busy with their pens and spent the day reliving the nostalgia of God’s love.

The floor was thrown up and Delight blew us away with this piece;

 WHOSE ORDERS?

That a tiny acorn will make a mighty forest 
Wasn’t the loamy soil’s words to utter.
Dear child…I speak in voices as ancient as before.
I gave you gifts not like anyone else’s 
But you chose to be photographed through distorted lenses.
You followed rules written by hands you will never shake
Then ending at crossroads, you asked me “Lord what’s your take?
Those rules were written by hand…
Funny how you are ignorant to the power embedded in yours
You obeyed the “rites” discarding the “rights”
What a perfect mismatch you are!!
You were told to silence your own voice for the sake of the loud…
The loud voice said “conform” but in your heart you felt torn.
Torn between the needs of your soul and the rule you have been sold.
Is it freedom you seek or a cage in gold?
Bound by lines drawn by a mentally distorted ruler’s ruler
They said “follow” and you never asked why
You were wheedled to be fine with “just fine”.
They raised you to be small but your heart beats loud…louder than their expectations.
Dear child…if you would… listen.
The elders might call this rebellion 
But I call it my divine intention 
Your dreams and desires are my design
Your handwritten lifeline, mine to sign
Your steps are earthquakes in their shallow puddles
You are to build bridges where they said walls stood
You are not a footnote in their stories.
You are the headline yet they don’t want to see your headlines.
Prior to forming you, I knew thee.
I know your deepest sleep even your purest glee 
So, whose orders if not mine?

Mc Wisdom came in right after and dropped this;

GOOD FOOD

Just can’t wait until it gets to the plate
Aromas that dance, through a culinary state
Tenderly cooked, with love and with care
Each bite a story, beyond compare

The cutting, slicing, sizzling, crackling, mixing,
 a continuous process that lives you wanting and yawning 

Oh, the joy of good food, that brings us together
A universal love language,
The norming around the dinner table 
The joy and laughter that’s uncontrollable, that transcends this weather, and leaves you warm.

A taste of nostalgia, a hint of home.
Good food that nourishes the body and soul,
Makes you forget your problem for a moment, leaving you whole.

So, here’s to the chefs, the cooks, and the bakers
The farmers, the fishermen, and the food makers
My mom, dad, siblings, friends, family 
Thank you for the feast, for the flavours and the fun
Good food that brings us to the table, as one.

With the floor and curtains intact, Delight waltz in with so much inspiration and gave us;

HOSEA 2🥰

I was once yours, you were once mine.
But in the shadows, you slipped away,  
Chasing after lovers who didn’t care,  
Trading true love for a false comfort,  
An affair with idols, a broken vow in the temple of desire.  
You left me but every step you took, I felt it,  
Every kiss you gave, I tasted it.  
Your heart wandered, but mine stayed rooted,  
Waiting, holding on,  
Gripping the promise of what was.

But love is not blind– it sees the truth,  
And the truth cuts deep.
So, hear me now:  

I will no longer cover your shame,  
I will no longer veil your mistakes, for you’ve turned your back, 
And I must speak of the consequences.  
The gates will close, the blessings will fade,  
Your fields will wither, and your heart will ache,  
As the world you built crumbles beneath your feet.  
But in this silence, in this solitude,  
You’ll hear my voice again and I won’t leave you there,  

For even in the wilderness,  
I am here, I will allure you,  
I will call your name and I will take you back,  
Not as a servant, but as my bride.  
I’ll speak comfort to your broken heart,  
Restore the years you’ve lost to wandering,  
Your valley of despair will become a place of hope,  
Your shame will be washed clean,  
And the shame you once wore,  
Will be replaced with a crown of righteousness.  
I will lead you to a new covenant, A promise of peace,  
Where love reigns.
Where mercy is poured like rain on dry ground,  
Where my faithfulness holds you close. I will be your God,  
And you will be my people,  
And together, we’ll make all things new.  
The name you once wore,  
The name of betrayal,
Will be changed.  
You will be called “My Delight,”  
And I will call you “My Beloved.”  

Forever,  
And nothing will ever tear us apart again.

What a love! What a God! See you next month for another freestyle!

Authors
MC WISDOM
DELIGHT SHEKELS

God’s Positivity

Hello Friends!

How are we doing? I hope the month of love has met you well?

First off, I want to use this opportunity to remind you whose you are, and whose love has saved you. You were worth dying for, if you have nothing else to celebrate today, celebrate this truth.

Now without further ado, I’d like to take you on another Freestyle Friday journey. My name is Miracle, and as always privilege to serve you today.

Our last Freestyle Friday took place on the 10th of February, 2023, and our host was the talented Niel Quchi. It’s theme? God’s Positivity.

Ebubechi opened the floor at about 12:06pm with this absolutely vibrant and uplifting piece;

God is positivity personified
Ask mother nature and she would you
Tell the man saw null and void
But he called forth shape to
Take the full space.

Full of glory and power
His spirit hovered on
The surface of the deep
He took a leap of faith
Then screamed let
There be light.

God’s not a mediocre
That’s why the igbo’s
Call him AKA’NEMEMMA
Yes his the hand that
Beautifies.

His words are fireful
Swift to execute
If you haven’t seen
Nothing go back to
Genesis and from
There grab the REVELATION
Of what was said and

He looked at all he has
Made and confirmed they
Were good.

For all he made
He has made for his own
Pleasure
God is positivity personified
Ask mother nature and
She would you tell the
Man NO DEY FEAR!!!!

And who is he that the sea and storms
Obey?

At a single command he called forth things that were not and they
Came to be

Hold thou forth O mighty comrade!!!
For thy God is FEARLESS
He didn’t need to take a gulp of FEARLESS though that’s why the Igbo’s call him Odum’egbojudah
Yes he’s the lion of
Judah’s tribe

God is positivity personified ask mother nature and she would you tell he’s everything.

Now if you’ve taken a little tour of your own around here, you wouldn’t be a stranger to Ebube’s words, and boy do they always pack a punch?!

Next up we had the Uc Truth one of our OG’s spewing truth as always;

God is positive

I love it when atheists boast

When their spec of an opinion is viewed through error prescribed glasses to magnify its importance in existence.

So there is no God because you said it?

I guess Mark will seize to exist if the blue app could raise a voice too

John taught us of life
And it is way more than being able to breathe in
So all your “strike me down if you really are God” doesn’t even move the great I Am
He’s busy listening to hymns sung in Glee from hearts of strings struck in awe of Messiah.
The ability to wash sin forever.

You are yam with skin that could be peeled any time if he pleased

So to think that any time you have here is long enough to spite enough to damage a lot from the one who literally would have to strip himself of all he is in order to stoop low enough to exist in time, is foolish

Solomon caught a glimpse and you know what he said I’m sure you recite it in your circles.

Your lack of faith doesn’t equal a lack of Him
That’s bad math
Sponsored by meth
You probably thought you could deal yourself drug enough to test positive to sense
But all you can muster is another paper lit
moss is growing on you
And if you keep rolling like this you’ll end up in an eternity
Where the joke is on you

For as long as you walk this Earth through a design he perfected, birth.
The litmus stayed purple
So regardless of your negativity
Your every wake is God’s positivity
He’s passing the test of love with every gravity that keeps you from floating
You can keep boasting
Just remember,
His Exist-positive is you.

Phew! Talk about words packing a punch.
Then we had our brilliant Tolu (The Alchemist) come with a beautiful addition;

God’s positivity shines like the sun,
Brighter and warmer than anything.
A light that dispels all fear and sorrow,
And brings hope to our suffering.


In every moment, both great and small,
His love and kindness do abound.
For He is the source of all goodness,
And His mercy knows no bounds.

His positivity spreads like wildfire,
Igniting hearts and lifting souls.
For when we bask in its warm glo,
All negativity takes flight and goes.

In God’s positivity we find peace,
And the strength to face each day.
For He walks beside us every step,
And guides us all the way.

So let us bask in God’s light always,
And bask in its radiant gleam.
For with each step we take towards it,
We find positivity’s fulfilling dream.

And then we had Niel at 02:26pm WAT with this piece;

All things are possible
And all the things that we imagine might all be true
It still don’t make the Word less by a decimal
So spread the word from Ukraine to Senegal

I love to meet the agnostics and the shrugs they give,
Atheists bore me, their stance is sehr lazy
Satan makes suggestions both to them and me
But I dey follow Holy Spirit like vis-a-vis
I belittle no opinions in all topics
I just saw a kid tiktok Christ boldly
God must have known it was meant to be
But to trust another Adam? Positivity!

It’s giving Encore! And a couple people did ask, so Niel obliged us with this beautiful chaser;

God’s faith is a very good example
Understanding how he hopes has got me storm-bending
To trust in beings so stupid and simple
If God wasn’t positive, man would be in trouble

One man came across worlds
Stepped down from the Lord God
Two humans in the midst of
Was it duty or just love?

Family Three took a new turn
Four groups praise the new born
Five loaves later and a couple of fishes
Life in abundance is what he six to establish
Seven man to save him, love will slowly win the rubbish

We eight the bread of life, and it’s fruity when I do shit
Nein, Ich bin zufrieden und glücklich
Joy of the Lord, and my one is quite the strong 10
No dey do me strong thing

If no be God, all the numbers for dey miss calls
Abba answers from inside me like an echo

Phew! And with that we come to the end of this Freestyle Friday Recap. Thank you so much for doing this with me. Don’t forget to show love to someone random today. Be the light you want to see!

Bless up!

Authors

Ebubechi

Uc Truth

Tolu (The Alchemist)

Niel Quchi

HOPEFULLY HELPFUL TALK || EP 12

Gratitude Brings Abundance


Thankfulness multiples in your attitude as you do it.

It also opens you up to blessings and favours.

We thank God for the gift of salvation, for family, friends and the tiniest blessing we experience. (Psalms 107:21-22, Ephesians 5:18-20, Philippians 4:6-7, Jonah 2:9)

Letter to Ola #4

Dear Olaedo,

On Friends with Benefits

When my therapist said the life of every relationship is dependent on benefits, I thought it was a selfish thing to say but a critical examination showed it was true.

Ever wondered why your best friend is your best friend? My guess is that she understands you. This is because you have the same values, so talking to her is easy and soothing. Your conversations are mostly warm because when you discuss fundamental issues, you vibe on the same frequency.

When you learn something new, you can’t wait to share it with her. You’ll literally blow up with information hoarding if you don’t share it.

One of the hardest things you’ll ever face is when your best friend is going through pain. Any kind of pain. It hurts like it’s a personal pain because it is.

On occasion, where distance reduces the frequency of your communication, the heart still knows where its loyalty lies and every reunion feels like no time has been lost.

Healthy friendships are beautiful and are the most important institution humanity has ever seen. Marriages and family relationships are shams without friendship.

I lost my dad at a period when I didn’t care about the size of a mustard seed. The mustard seed that could challenge me had not mustered any courage. I prayed for his healing and believed but he still died. I had a journal where I called God all sorts of vile names. My favourite was ‘scam’. I considered him my best friend and he did me dirty. I still believed in his sovereignty but the relationship seemed like a master-slave relationship since he could just let my dad die just like that. Ah!

I think those prayers ‘we’ made far back in the days to not be able to breathe nor live without Christ came through for me because I could only last three months of not speaking with God before I ran back to ask him why he did me like that. That was not how friends acted. He showed me things happening around me I took for granted and we made up.

At another time, I had issues with my best friend and we both knew we were suffering but couldn’t resolve our issues and I prayed fervently that God should heal our friendship. It seemed like a flippant thing to pray about but I knew that no matter how flippant it was, if it affected me, then it was important enough to God. She came to me and we talked. The mountain of a problem we had became a levelled ground and I gave her a letter I wrote to her at the exact time she came to meet me.

Sometime later, I had an issue that stole my peace and I tried all I could to be of sound mind including going for therapy but my efforts were futile until I turned to God. Yes! You guessed right!

I got my peace back.

Most times, we get it all wrong. My friend would say you should test and see if your Lord is good. Don’t just hear it and carry it about when you can’t boast strongly without a doubt of one thing he has done for you aside from the cross you’ve heard of and believed or things you can cross off as coincidences.

What reinforces the cross are your experiences today. Maybe that’s why you struggle with consistency in ministry. You may be doing it because it’s a command and I don’t think that is a sustainable reason.

I became so dependent on God that I wanted to give back too; so I started asking him how I can go about doing things for him also. I wanted to reciprocate.

What we think we owe God, what He requires of us and what we think our blessings are dependent on are wrong notions we’ll address in the future.

For today, what benefits have you gotten from your relationship with God?

Do you have a relationship at all? Life is easier with such a beneficial friendship.


With Love,
Mama

ChyD

©2020

Why’s Intro

The goal is to sell myself to Life,
But Life said come back when you’re dead,
Commas behind zeroes; I just wanted tomorrow,
I valued it more than the now and the loot oh,

So much Carnage is possible!
But some came from the rubble
Worth are you when I ask
Otherwise it’s your task
Get a thing into time, that will live till it’s killed

Blessings are a present,
that means they are present,
Sometimes I forget
My Spirit will be present

Niel Quchi
© 2020

Power Source

As the antelope flees from the hunters gunpowder
As the boat drowns by the sea’s power
As the smokers eye fillls at the opium hour

Fire softens the beans for all devourers
Heat is what we produce to roast our beef at the tower
Looking down from great heights we don’t cower
Like the petals of a flower
Like lift from a stranger
We are helped and protected in dark and trying hours

Call it showers
We bask in the blessings of the Father
Safely hinged and bowered
To a God who has granted us dominion and power

Imani Dokubo
© 2020

THIS IS LIFE

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life
This is life that you see one who gets along with your thoughts
This is life that you meet your necessary complement who aligns with God’s thought
This is life that you live abundantly
That there’s someone who resonates in the same frequency of your being
One who has the boldness to take you from what was once called harmony into a bigger family

This is life that life find one who sticks with you closer than a brother
Who fights side by side with you against your betrayals
This is life that you have one whose leading and guidance is of the Holy Spirit who completes your sentences
Whose night intercession wakes you up and challenges your day to make sense
This is life that when the night gets darker, your light shines brighter, and bigger, and better
And men will see your heavenly Father
And there’s more…

There’s more to life than meets the eyes
This is life who listens to you even when you are wrong
Who treats you right and decorates you as his bride
Who holds you even when you can’t hold on
Who lavishes his mercies upon you and gives blessings beyond you
And there’s more…

There is life who weeps with you
Guards and then carries you
Who smiles and watches the joy that lit up in your eyes
Who taunts your stalkers and troubles your mockers
Who see beyond your needs and strengthens your feeble knees
And there’s more…
That at the end, you’ll be holding hands with God’s precious gift as your Makers says to you,
“Well done!”
You lived a good life
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Azubike Hannah
© 2019

So many times

So many times I get my heart disturbed,
Disturbed with vanity with things of this world,
World called earth that isn’t forever,
Forever I keep thinking of the blessings I want to get,
Get lost to pains, frustration, uncertainty,
Certainly wavering in faith neither did I know,
Know that I was gradually broken to pieces closer to ashes,
Ashes of dust back to Genesis,
Genesis creation was in His image and likeness,
Likened unto Him that created thee,
The truth have I forsaken,
For my sake He made it to the cross,
Crossing my heart to His,
His ways should be in my dose,
Dosing daily His pills,
Pills to make me whole again,

Okelola Oladayo Joseph
(C) 2019