College Dayz

Hello! 

Thanks for stopping by today! Read below and enjoy!


Graduation from Highschool was around the corner and the time came when we had to start applying for college. And the dilemma struck again, what do I major in?!?! My parents had many people come to talk to me and convince me that nursing, law, medicine is the way! 

But I wasn't having it...I contemplated psychology but when I mentioned it to my parents, they almost called for a deliverance service for me! However, I managed to apply for college, in the mist of so much discouragement from various angles...my college advisor even told me not to bother applying for some schools because my GPA of about 80 wasn't good enough...somehow someway, I mustered up the courage to apply anyway and thankfully I got into a good school! The State University of New York (SUNY) Albany, located in upstate New York. I got accepted but didn't declared a major right away.

Shortly after, I discovered that another Nigerian girl who attended my high school was attending SUNY Albany also. We were not friends throughout high school, but once we discovered that we were attending the same school we exchanged numbers and kept in touch. We also became roommates. She was such a great roommate (the best I ever had), she was definitely God sent. We are still friends today. 

We had to attend a summer program at SUNY Albany. It was an experience, I met a lot of interesting people. It was a good introduction into the college lifestyle. We were required to take a few classes and lived with a certain number of roommates, etc. 

We returned for the first semester and we hated it. Albany, NY is a small town. And being from New York City, it was difficult for us to adjust. We were doing very well in our classes but were extremely bored. There wasn't much to do besides drink, party, smoke, and shop. We succumbed to the latter, we shopped a lot and traveled home every chance we got. 

We stood out from the crowd; it wasn't intentional, it was natural. We were different and we refused to fit in. Some people believed that we were 'stuck up', while others really liked and us and some literally stalked us (there was one girl that I had to practically hide from...lol).

We decided to do something about our discontentment. My roommate kept mentioning a school that I had no prior knowledge of...Howard University (HU). She told me that her cousin was a student there and raved about how great it was. It had many more options for majors, everyday was a fashion show, it was located in beautiful Washington, DC and it was lots of fun! I contemplated transferring to HU for some time.

By the end of our first year, we couldn't take it anymore. It was so bad, we even lost weight. I didn't need anymore convincing. We both applied to HU and got ACCEPTED! However, some friends and family nembers tried to talk me out of going because it is a private institution, which meant that tution was almost double the price of my current school. I heard them, considered it, but went ahead to HU. It turned out to be a great decision! God was definetly leading me even when I wasn't aware of it. He used my lovely roomie to lead me to his purpose for my  life.

We started Howard the next semester, along with my roommates' best friend and cousin. We were all inseparable, took the same classes, ate together, partied together, etc. 


Until next time...

You're Blessed!

-Bunmi

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How Do I Believe?

I've discovered that a lot of people do not have the things that they desire, because they don't know how to believe God for them. Faith is a process, it's a cycle one must go thorough in order to see desired results.

What is faith? 

The previous devotional defined faith as absolute trust in God. Faith is a substance that is evidence based (Hebrews 11:1). The evidence of our faith is the Word of God. You can not believe God for something that can not be backed up by his Word. Scripture states that Faith comes by the hearing of God's Word (Romans 10:17). The Word of God is heard in two ways, through the preaching of God's Word and through the confession of God's Word (Romans 10:14).

There are two vital organs of faith. For your faith to produce results, these two organs must function properly. These organs are the heart (the core of your being) and the mouth (Romans 10:8).

The Word of God can not work for you until it's understood or revealed. The mere reading of God's Word will not produce results, it is just a religious exercise. Revelation comes through the study of God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15). Revelation moves the Word from your head to your heart, which is where faith is born. 

The Process of Faith

• The process of faith begins with the hearing (preaching or reading)of the Word
• Next the Word is digested and enters into the heart (the core of one's being) by study or meditation (Joshua 1:8) 
• The next step in the process of faith is to regurgitate (confess) the Word by speaking it to yourself consistently (Hebrews 10:23). 
• The final step in the process of faith is to act in line with what you believe (what would you do when what you're trusting God for manifests? begin to do that very thing!)

Don't just read the Word, aim to understand the Word. Pray for revelation before you begin. Look for scriptures that address what you're trusting God for. Don't stop studying until it seeps into the core of your being(Colossians 3:16a). Because spiritual things can be slippery, don't let them get away (Proverbs 4:20-22).

Your wellbeing depends on the revelation of the Word of God that you've recieved. Because, the Word is the source of all things; it is the source of your faith, you were created by it, and it is what sustains and nourishes you (Matthew 4:4). So keep believing and speaking what you desire in line with God's Word, if you see anything contrary to it physically don't confess it. 

For example, you are trusting God for a certain amount of money. But your bank account is negative. Don't say, "I am so broke". Instead say, the Lord supplies all my needs according to his riches in glory (Phillippians 4:19)

*It is not being supersitious or unrealistic. When you truly believe in something, you speak about it!*

Confession: Father I thank you because there's nothing that I desire for good that is not in your Word. I receive revelation in my heart as I study your Word and I put your Word in mouth. My faith produces results in Jesus' Name. Amen

Prayer Starter: Heavenly father I come to you today based on your Word in ---mention scripture--- and I ask for ---mention request---. Thank you father for it, in Jesus' Name. Amen



You're Blessed!

- Bunmi

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"Puppy Love"

Welcome back!

Let's continue where we left off...

So I started getting attention from guys...I didn't know how to handle it at first, because I was extremely shy and like I said I had low self esteem.

But I welcomed it anyway, I could finally relate with my friends in reference to men.

So here I was in High School, at about the age of seventeen and I had my first "boyfriend". I can't recall his name now. 

We met while I was walking to school. He was a very good looking guy, he dressed very well. He attended a private school so he was actually wearing his uniform on the day I met him. He was with his father but that didn't stop him from "hollering" at me. His father even greeted me with a large smile on my face. I can't remember the details of our conversation, however we exchanged numbers.

Somehow he asked me out and I said yes, however I never saw him again. Our "relationship" only consisted of inconsistent phone calls that ended abruptly. No hard feelings at all!

A few months later, I met Mark, he was very tall 6'2, dark but not too handsome, he was from Guyana. The way that we met was interesting. I actually met his brother Randy first online via a chat room. Randy supposedly liked me and wanted a relationship but he seemed to be too busy. The first time we met offline was on Valentine's Day, we met at his place. He gave me a rose and my first kiss. 

After that day, he slowly and surely became MIA (missing in action). When I called his house phone Mark always picked up. Before you knew it, Mark and I spent hours on the phone and somehow became a couple.

Majority of our relationship was spent on the phone, only God knows what we spoke about. 

The High School that he attended was near mine, so he came around once in a blue with some friends to see me. His visits were about 10 minutes long, all we did was talk briefly and he'd walk me to the train station. Then we'd hug and say our goodbyes. I can count on one hand how many times we saw each other. I'm not sure when or how we parted ways...we never argued, he never upset me, he didn't break my heart. Somehow our communication just seized.

My next "boyfriend", was Emmanuel. I met him online also. He was the first guy that told me he loved me. In this relationship, I actually spent time with the guy physically. Except I always met him at his house. We never went out publicly except when we first met and I asked him to meet me in a public place. 

Emmanuel was very handsome, average height, light skin, and he had a way with words. His screen name in the AOL chat room was 'Smooth Criminal', please ask me why I didn't run away at first glance! 

Of course, spending time at his house alone was not wise. We spent time kissing and touching. After a while, I noticed that he stopped answering my phone calls. I'd call his cell phone and house phone but to no avail. His family was even in on it, they'd pick up and make up flimsy excuses. Eventually I gave up, but not without getting my heart broken. That relationship left a large hole in my heart for a long while. I eventually spoke to him months later and he stated that he ended the relationship because I didn't want to have sex with him.

I was petrified of sex. It was all around me but I dare not bring myself to 'doing it'. I'm not sure of what scared me the most, my parents finding out or the thought of God striking me down with lighting. Thankfully, I managed to graduated from High School a virgin, despite the temptations that surrounded me. 

However there were secret struggles that I had. I was very curious and my imagination was uncontrollable. I also read a lot of romance novels. 


Even though I wasn't sexually involved with anyone, what I was exposed to during conversations with friends at school, the novels, the Internet, etc were all sowing seeds. What started as innocent curiosity before high school turned into a devasting cycle that continued for a long while...I'll share more details in a later post.

After my first heart break, I didn't get into another "relationship" for sometime. However, I continued to chat with guys online and met two of them once respectively, of course the wanted sex but I didn't budge. By the way, what was I thinking? How unsafe! Thank God for protection in the midst of my ignorance. Truth be told, I didn't go online searching for men. Chatting in chat rooms was common then (Who remembers ASL?...age, sex, & location). I discovered that I was able to express myself better in writing. In the cyber world, I didn't have to worry about what I looked like...so it was a piece of cake for me.

Next stop...COLLEGE!

You're blessed!

-Bunmi

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Faith, Our Access

Romans 5:2(KJV)

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

In the previous devotional, we spoke about the grace of God. In this post, we'll discuss how to gain access into this grace.

According to the above scripture, faith is needed to access God's grace. 

Faith says, "God I absolutely trust you with every part of my life without a shadow of doubt whatsoever. Even when opposing circumstances arise, I will still trust you." 

Faith is not wishing or hoping God will do it while having a plan b, c, and d. Faith is absolute trust in God. It is a no doubt, fear, or worry zone.

For every believer, it was God's grace that saved us (Ephesians 2:5-8), it is a gift. However we had to play a role in receiving this gift, by releasing our faith. We had to believe that Jesus was rised from the dead and confess his lorship over our lives (Romans 10:8-10).

Faith is strictly based on the Word of God (Romans 10:17). As my pastor says, "Faith begins where the Will of God is known." The Word of God is his Will.

Simply put, you can't have faith for what you have not laid hold of in God's Word. 

Nothing is impossible to the man or woman who has place their faith in God (Matthew 17:20), he/she pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). There is no way that one can please God with his/her faith in him and live an ordinary life. God will show up and show out for whoever puts his total trust in him.

When you trust God, his grace has you covered, like a limitless credit card you can swipe it anytime a need arises...you can only swipe a card when you believe (faith) that there are funds (grace) available. 

Why don't you give it a try? Believe in God's grace. Release your faith for something that you desire today. Remember not to allow fear, worry, or doubt because it will void your transaction. Keep believing until there is a manifestation. If it's in his Word, you can see it in your world...just believe!

Confession: Father, in the name of Jesus I trust you. Your Word says there's nothing impossible for those that put there faith in you. Therefore I trust you to meet all my needs by your grace. Amen.

Prayer Starter: In the name of Jesus, I come to you today father and ask that you ---mention need--- according to your grace. My faith is in you, I won't be anxious. I believe, therefore I receive this very thing. Amen

You're blessed!

-Bunmi

Wait before you go:

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Purpose Who? Purpose What?

Welcome Back! So glad to have you in this space today *smiles*

In the previous post I gave you a very brief overview of my childhood as it pertains to me trying to discover my purpose.

Now, buckle up! And let's proceed....

I went through Elementary School (Primary School for my Nigerian readers) and Junior High School (JSS for my Nigerian readers) with this dilemma, it bothered me more in Junior High School because I attended what is classified as a 'gifted and talented school', admission was based on merit...yet I felt so ungifted and untalented! My classmates were flourishing in various subjects: Art, Mathematics, Sciences, Music, etc. I was just there, bored and uninterested in any of the above.

I was an average student that mostly lived in her imagination. In my imagination, life was perfect and I ruled the world!...I wasn't too fond of school but I knew it was a requirement for success in life (that's what mommy and daddy told me). I longed for something  more, something greater, something beyond the walls of a school building. 

Eventually, I joined the band at school but I didn't last long. My instrument of choice was the viola (similar to the violin) but I just couldn't get it...we had an excellent instructor but once I struck those strings, what you heard was catastrophic. Within a few weeks, my instructor told me to see her after class and she let me down easily. Long story short, she told me that I would be better off in the choir *insert-very-loud-laughter* Although I've always desired to sing (and still do occasionally...hehe) my voice needs more than training,  it needs a divine intervention! So yea, I just remained in the choir as an "alto" until I left junior high school.

The time came when we were about to graduate, so we began to look for high schools that we wanted to attend. There were various criteria for each school and some of them had a particular area of focus (i.e. Sports, Arts, etc). After much frustration I opted for a school that focused on Health Sciences (Dentistry, Nursing, etc), I chose this school partly because I knew people who attended the school and secondly because it was an easy school to get into.

Once I got to High School, a whole new world opened up to me!!! Chai, see life! (Translation: Omg, is this life!?!?) Trying to discover my purpose wasn't my only dilemma now, trying to stay away from negative influences and holding on to my Godly principles was more of a challenge.

There was a lot more freedom in High School, you could dress anyway you wanted...school was like a fashion show everyday and "keep up with the joneses" wasn't easy, high end designers filled the hall ways...from Jordans to GUESS, also your hair always had to be on point (a nice perm or weave would do), along with extra long artificial nails and cute pedicures. I also got introduced to a social life...there were parties every weekend.

During a regular day at school, it wasn't surprising to hear that someone got caught in the staircase while smoking weed. Drinking alcohol was the "in" thing even though most people were underage (21 is the legal drinking age), and oh yes there was sex...it was the norm..."everyone" was doing it...there was one year in particular when some people just decided to loose their virginity...of course with sex came babies, my school was notorious for teenage pregnancy. I attended Clara Barton High School commonly known as 'Clara Abortion' because of the high pregnancy rates.

Not before long I found myself caring less about my purpose. I figured, I'll go to College and study whatever, get a job or two, get married, have children and live happily ever after...after all that's what I saw around me, most of the adults that I knew worked two to three jobs barely having time for their families, leaving most of their children to fend for themselves and be raised by the streets, then they came to church on Sundays looking all dolled up, and spent tons of money on clothing, jewelry, shoes, and bags awaiting the next party where they would "fun won tan" (Translation: show off). I mean by this time, I've accepted it as reality. I wasn't happy about it because my dreams were so much better but, hey!

Shortly after, I got my first official job at Wendy's...most of my peers worked, that's how you managed to keep up with the joneses when daddy and mommy's money ran out...well that's for those that had father's...it was in High School that I discovered that a lot of people didn't grow up with a dad....I was shocked because I don't know what I'd do without my dad

So, I started making my own money...finally started dressing decent, managed to afford a few name brand items, get my hair and nails done, even though I didn't get paid much (Minimum wage then 
was about $7 then). As a result of working at a fast food restaurant plus my love for food my hips started expanding...sigh...no more skinny girl. I was becoming a 'woman' and I noticed that I started receiving a lot of attention from the opposite sex also, which was new to me....


And the story continues....until next time!

You're blessed!

-Bunmi

Wait, before you go...

1. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

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God's Grace

2 Corinthians 9:8 (KJV)

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 

What is God's Grace?

In most cases, God's grace is simply defined as his unmerited favor. Which is true, however it's much more than that. It is God's divine empowerment given to man to live the God-kind of life. With God's grace, man is able to live the abundant life that Jesus came to give (John 10:10). A life where man is in total control, controlling circumstances and situations and not the other way around. 

God's grace is the key to all your desires, it's the solution to all your issues, and it’s the answer to all your questions. God's grace is sufficient, it's all we have as believers and it's all we'll ever need. 

God's grace covers every nook and cranny of your life: your finances, career, marriage, education, etc. His grace is available to make you that image of perfection that he has created you to be. God's grace is able to turn your wildest dreams into glorious realities. God's grace covers it all! 

Like a blank check, all you have to do is fill in what you need it for; it's already signed with Jesus' blood so it can never bounce. His grace will never run out, it's forever abounding. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, the key words are 'all', 'abound', 'always', 'sufficiency', and 'every', these words describe the characteristics of God's grace. It’s all encompassing, it's endless, it's more than enough, and it applies to all circumstances.

Furthermore, God's grace is void of human effort (2 Corinthians 12:9), you don't have to work, struggle, or fight for it; as a child of God it's your personal property, a divine gift (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus paid the price for our access into this grace with his life (John 1:17). This grace is able to establish and perfect all that concerns you in life (1 Peter 5:10), just believe it!

Confession: Heavenly father, I thank you because your grace is sufficient for me. It abounds towards me in: my walk with you, relationships, calling, finances, marriage, etc, meeting all my needs in Jesus' name. I AM BLESSED!!!

Prayer Starter: Father in the name of Jesus, I thank you for your grace. In any area of my life where your grace has not yet manifested __________ (specify that area) I declare by faith right now that there is a performance of your Word concerning that area. Amen


You're Blessed!

-Bunmi

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What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

I am the first born of four children. I come from an awesome family, my parents are great and my siblings have my heart. I love my family dearly. While growing up, I was a very quiet child, I never gave my parents any trouble or reasons to be concerned. Being the first born, I had the responsibility of  being a role model. I took this responsibility very seriously and mounted so much pressure on myself from a young age. My goal was to be "little miss perfect".

My childhood was filled with a lot of grey areas, i was extremely confused about a lot of things. My parents did a pretty good job with raising me, they gave me moral principles to follow and of course infused the Nigerian culture in me. They also brought me up in the way of The Lord, I mean we practically slept at church (come to think of it, we actually slept at church sometimes, lol ).

The main source of my confusion was a result of  never having an answer to the "What will you like to be when you grow up?" question, I mean I just didn't know! And of course with Nigerian parents, a doctor, or a lawyer was the only acceptable answer. But I didn't want to be a doctor, I hated hospitals...every time I went to an hospital or was around someone that was sick I felt so sad, all I wanted to do was to help them get better quick. And being a lawyer seemed sooooooooo boring! (No offense to all my doctors and lawyers out there, I got love for ya'll!)

So what did I want to do when I grew up? I just knew that I had this burden for helping people who couldn't help themselves, people that have giving up on life, people that have been rejected and despised by others, people who were hopeless, lonely, lost, afraid, etc. I also knew that I wanted to be my own BOSS, saw pictures of myself in my head sitting in my lavishly furnished executive office, calling all the shots! But after my lengthy research, I couldn't find any profession to satisfy my yearning. I wanted to help people entirely, not fix one part and leave the rest broken...and there's where my dilemma lied, all professions seemed to fix different aspects but never the whole being.

During my teenage years, I wrote a lot of poetry. It was one of the things that came to me easily, I never realized that I was good at it. I just wrote as the inspiration came, I found some of these poems a few years ago and discovered that from my teenage years until my college days my poems were centered on the topic "Self Discovery". I was so eager to discover what I was on Earth for. I was surrounded by so many friends and family that knew what they wanted to be, they were determined and driven yet I was just there, going through the motions, I was unfulfilled.

I grew up in a neighborhood that was stricken with poverty, high school drop outs, crime, teenage parents, and drug addicts. At first glance, these issues weren't glaring in my community because it just seemed to be the normal way or life. 

Plus my parents did an excellent job with shielding us for all the negativity, we were instructed to never mingle with the other children in the neighborhood, our only friends were the children of the two Nigerian families that attended our church and also lived near by. Of course being children, we managed to mingle a bit but thankfully it was never to our detriment. However, some of the other children in the neighborhood got offended, it led to various confrontations because they felt that we thought we were better than them. The truth was that were afraid of the discipline of our Nigerian parents!

Being the firstborn was tough, I didn't have anyone to look up to and give me advice. I had to figure it out on my own. There were certainly no role models in my community and church wasn't any better. I was so confused about the discrepancy between how the bible instructed us to live and what I saw at church. So I felt alone, confused, and different from others. I was very quiet, timid, shy, unhappy, angry and insecure. My self esteem was horribly low...I thought my nose was too big, my shoe size was massive...my hair was short and unhealthy...my face was fat...my skin was unevenly toned...and the list goes on.

Also, my mother and I didn't have a good relationship when I was younger. She was very strict and mounted heaps of pressure on me because I was the oldest. If I did something wrong, I dreaded the things she would say. Her words hurt more than her spankings (we get along now and I now understand that she only wanted the best for me).

But you know what the good news is?!?!

I found Jesus and I found ME! I discovered my purpose in Jesus! And My Life Changed!

You're Blessed!

-Bunmi

Wait before you go:

1. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

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