A Grateful Heart

I will like to start by saying those who don't always have a reason to thank God, He always moves away from them. He who remembers to say thank you for today lives to receive tomorrow. Even the bible tells us a story of how John the Baptist died in prison because he was complaining when he should be thanking and praising God. I have come to realize that people are more in the business of asking than giving thanks for that which has already been given to them. And with that said, allow me to quickly take us back to the bible where it tells us a story of the ten lepers that Jesus cleansed as He entered into a certain village while He was passing through Samaria and Galilee. According to the scripture, one of them turned back and with a loud voice, he glorified God when he saw that he was healed. He fell down on his face at His feet giving thanks and he was a Samaritan, and with Jesus answering, He said, “Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine?”

I believe He seems to be saying in that verse that many receive mercy but only a few are thankful. And the painful part of it all is that they don't know the power of thanksgiving and they would spend the rest of their lives thanking and praising God if only they did. Thanksgiving and praise holds the key that opens the prison. They seal up miracles, making them permanent. If a heart is not grateful, you see an ingrate but if you see a heart that’s filled with so much gratitude, it shows in the act of that person. Gratitude by faith shows up in action and when it doesn't, it means it is dead. Show me a man that is grateful to God and I will show you a man with gratitude. In 1king 3, the bible tells us that Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. He went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

Solomon did all that because he was a grateful son and knew how to say thank you. Don't be an ingrate, you been one only takes you back to the slave land. When you are grateful to God, he opens doors unto you. The question now is this, “what is the act of a grateful heart?” First of all, if your heart is grateful, gratitude and thanksgiving will come before all requests. Often times when we go to God, we come to him with a list we call our prayer point or prayer request depending on which you prefer and to be sincere, the number one thing that should be on that list is thanksgiving. Give Him thanks for what He has done, what He is doing, what He’s yet to do and wouldn’t do but capable of doing. If you pray for ten minutes, let thanksgiving be more than five minutes. The first act that you see from a grateful heart is that thanksgiving will come before all requests.

Secondly, the act of thanksgiving will not be conditioned on the things expected from God. You know, it shouldn't be because of what you want Him to do for you but because of who He is, what He has done and capable of doing. Give Him thanks for He's worthy of your praise. Make it a habit to praise and give Him thanks, it provokes the blessings of God. The fastest way to His heart is through praise and thanksgiving, basically. Have you ever thought of why God loved David so much and said he was the man after His own heart? Well, for those who don’t know or those who do but needs to be reminded, it is simply because David knew how to praise Him. There's more to praising than we may ever know so if I were you, I’ll spend more time praising him than asking, it pays to, trust me. Next on the list is when a man puts up an uncommon, unusual and a record breaking act.

I mean, when one does something uncommon that springs up surprises that provoke the other party asking what the meaning of what he did is and he responds with a hug smile saying it's because of what you've done for me. Our show of gratitude will reflect what's in our heart. In 2 Samuel 6, David thanked the Lord in a way that no king has ever thanked him that even his wife was wondering what kind of king he was. Let us begin to give our best to God, we can't be too big for Him, remember He's the one that made you what you are today. Do uncommon things to thank Him and as you do so from today, may the heavens be opened unto you In Jesus mighty name. Furthermore, a thoughtful heart is a grateful heart because it takes a thoughtful consideration before thanksgiving can come out of the heart. Always remember God made you, you didn't make yourself. If you think deep, you will thank him.

There you are looking so beautiful but remember there are people without a sound mind that would rather turn that beautiful piece of clothing you are putting on into a rag. If you think deep, you will find a reason to be thankful. It is usually the things we take for granted that should be most treasured. In psalm 116:12, David asked “What shall I render? What shall I give back that He doesn't have for all He has done for him?”, and the answer to that question came in the verse fourteen of that same chapter, saying he will offer thanksgiving to the name of the Lord. If you are grateful, let it show in your act. Let it show in your giving, in your dancing, in your praising and in your testimony just to mention a few.  Be thankful to the one who has preserved you and have not allowed the devil to have his way in your life. Show appreciation, give Him thanks always. God bless

Kay Magnate

Remembering My Mum

These past few months have been some the most emotionally charged moments of my life. One is never truly ready or prepared to lose a parent or loved one.

As my Aunt Adrienne said to me just the other day, “It’s as if a light had gone out in the world”. Such a perfect explanation of the emotions toward how my mom lived her life.

Those who know me, have probably heard me bitch and complain of what a pain in the ass she was and how she made me so crazy, and how it made her just as crazy. At the same time I know there were times, you had also heard me praise this courageous, amazing woman. As I type this I know how blessed I was to have Jacq as my mom.

My mom was a stage four breast cancer survivor for over 20 years, and most people who encountered her never knew she had breast cancer or of the challenges she may have faced that day or in her life. She fought an amazing fight right up till the end.

The day before she passed I said to her, “Mom, you need to put yourself first for once, everyone will be fine.” Her reply was, “I promise, I’ll try, love you very much.” She never wavered from who she was. She kept her quick wit, sense of humor, feisty disposition, and never ending warmth and love.

She was kind and patient with the doctors and nurses as they did what was needed to help her, as uncomfortable as it may have been. She would call her oncologist “Old Blue Eyes” even though his eyes are not blue. “Hahahaha” She would laugh, in a loving tone.

Everyone who knew Mom & her oncologist knew of the fondness they had for one another. She would greet the nurses with, “Hello, darling”, along with a smile and smart ass comeback.The love she gave was apparent by the overwhelming love she would receive by each and every person who came in contact with her.

Jacqui was just that type of human.

She would challenge you, love you, and make you want to strangle her at times, but in the end you always felt blessed to know her or to be a part of her world.

She had been known to buy a cup of hot cocoa, or a banana or water for the Salvation Army bell ringer in front of any store. She would offer water to the garbage men or mail person on a hot summer day. She smiled at every person walking down the street, thinking maybe they needed it because they were enduring a tough day. She treated people the way she felt they should be treated.

I remember Mom once taped a large poster board sign on the back of her car that read: “Pray for Peace” My father was not too thrilled, being he thought she was always looking to invite trouble. Hahahahaha

Just another Jacqui reference.

If she was in a heated argument, the V birthmark on her forehead would darken and you would know the scorpion tongue was being fueled.

When you speak to those who knew her, there is always a story or four you will hear that will touch your heart and make you smile. “Unique” is the perfect word to describe my mom.

I know she is no longer here for me to argue with, hug, tease, admire, or learn from… But I know she will always be around me, guiding and loving me in a spiritual sense. Jacqui believed the soul lives on, and now that she is with some of her beloved friends, family, and her love, my father Arthur, she is healthy and vibrant once again, living big all around us.

My life after now is something I’ll need to figure out with each passing day.

Remembering my parents, especially my mom, I’m trying to live my life as authentically as possible. My brothers and I are their legacy and they were all about being in service to humanity. So now we get to carry that legacy forward.

My Life After Now, was the last book my mom read before she passed 6/22/13.

She was so proud of my cousin Jessica Verdi, and told everyone she saw about how this book was a must read. For even with a different challenge than the character in the book had, my mother cried and could relate to the emotions of admitting and recognizing her “life after now” which for mom was breast cancer.

You are my sunshine. Always were always will be!

I love you, Jacqui.

Forever learning in your space, even with you gone. xxx

Blessed Be,

Until we meet again…

Cynthia

"As we walk to create light for others, we naturally light our own way…"

~Mary Anne Radmacher~

Cobhams Asuquo - Empty (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Cobhams Asuquo is a visually impaired Nigerian musician, producer, and songwriter. In 2005, Asuquo was signed on with Sony ATV London as a songwriter.  After working as Head of Audio Productions at a local label, Questionmark Entertainment, he set up his own recording facility in 2006. He is CEO/ Head of Productions of CAMP (Cobhams Asuquo Music Productions) which is currently representing himself, Bez Idakula and Stan Iyke. He was responsible for Aşa's highly acclaimed international album ASA and has been mentioned on many artists' sleeve credits as producer and writer.

Cobhams Asuquo likes to say that his music career started when as a child he used to puff his cheeks to play the 12-bar blues. Today, he is known for producing some of the finest artistes in Nigeria. Noteworthy among these artistes is the Nigerian soul-singing sensation, Asa, whose 2007 debut album became an international hit. In addition to producing the album, Cobhams wrote and co-wrote several of its hits songs. Cobhams has won multiple local and international awards for his creative and entrepreneurial contributions to the Nigerian music industry.

WIPO had the pleasure of hosting on July 13, 2009 a performance by Nigerian musician, songwriter and producer Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo. He was recently featured on CNN's African Voices for his contribution and impact on the African music industry. Rising alternative soul artiste, Bez is the first of three artistes signed by Cobhams to the C.A.M.P record label, and Bez's debut album 'Super Sun' was highlighted on The Boston Globe's top ten list of best 'world music' albums of 2011. He has won several awards in the music and film scene in Africa and beyond. Cobhams talked about the advantages of being blind in an interview he had with the BBCNews Cobhams Also spoke at the TEDxEuston in 2012 where he talked about the gift of blindness.

Cobham's released his first official single Ordinary People on 1 January 2014 and released the video 1st of jan 2015. Star of Wonder released in December 2014 is his second officially released single. His third single Stronger Than Before was released in 2015 and was sung by Morayo. He released his fourth single Boos it featuring Falz in April 2016^.

Cobhams shot to international acclaim with his musical production of the debut album by the Nigerian soul sensation Aṣa. He also wrote and co-wrote several songs on the award-winning album including the hit singles, "Fire on the Mountain", and "Jailer".

Cobhams has likewise produced numerous award-winning songs for Nigerian recording artistes such as Banky W and Omawumi.

He has arranged music, and performed with bands at international music events as The Harare International Festival of Arts, the AFA Sponsored French Cultural Center Concert with Asa and Angelique Kidjo; AFA Sponsored French Cultural Center Concert in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nigeria Week in Paris and the launch of MTV's one hundredth channel (MTV Base Africa) at Abuja, Nigeria.

In the TV and film media, he has composed and arranged film scores to be interpreted for conservatoires as well as for film and stage performances such as "A Voice for Ella" by Uche Macaulay, Sunshine (Alpha Vision), "Bent Arrows" by Isang Awah and Communication for Change's "Bayelsan Sillhouttes".

In 2016, Cobhams started a digital radio countdown show Cobhams Top 12. The digital radio show counts down the hottest African/Nigerian songs that Cobhams thinks the Nigerian audience should be listening to. The show was originally called The Top 12 Countdown With Cobhams Asuquo.

 And with that said, allow me the honor of introducing to you one of his latest work and also a personal favorite, a song written and produced by Cobhams, titled "Empty". 

The visuals to this wonderful and breathtaking song was directed by Paul Gambit for Kurlevra Production. 

Enjoy it !



Kay Magnate

Selfish Us In A Selfless World.

When the title of this piece came to me while I was in the bathroom taking a shower, I got frozen for a bit because I was lost in the depth of the sound of it and needed to take a moment to understand or at least have a clue of what inspiration was bringing to the table and then I thought about the selfish nature of man and how the world has been created so wonderfully and yet so beautifully and how God has given us dominion over everything in it. You know, you can be who you want and what you want to be, you just have to ask yourself what you intend doing with your life.

We need to stop blaming everything on the world, what you ask of it is what it gives, period. Our selfish nature makes life more difficult and complicated than it literally is. We tend to use one another to get what we want in order to attain a particular height but how much longer do we think it will take before we fall. There is no shortcut in life, if you go in through the window, be rest assured to fall right back, only that this time you may fall harder up against your back and might never be able to rise.

Why do we remember one another only when we need something? Friendship these days are built on what the other party has to offer and the moment they seize to do so, we are quick to show them the way out. Gone are the days when one would say “What are friends for if not for inconveniences”, right now the only logical expression worth using is “What the heck are you bringing to the table”. Basically, there is some self-interest behind every friendship. In other words, there’s no friendship without self-interest and that’s the bitter truth. We tend to use and dump one another and the circle just keeps moving on.

What an ungrateful race we are walking through the surface of the earth heartlessly, if our creator was half as selfish as we are, don’t you think he would have had all the ‘red light specials’ to himself and made the babies all by himself even after creation and just put us in the world without a single erection or the ladies having to save their virginity till or before marriage. We are dame so good with using one another. It comes naturally and I guess it should be added to the list of our skill acquisition program and we can get to teach it to our unborn children since it has become a fast and easy way to get ourselves out of the box whenever we find ourselves in an uncompromising situation.

Apparently, whatever we don’t suffer for will never stand the test of time. If you use that lady or gentleman you call your friend to get over your emotional trauma or whatever situation the circumstances of life must have dished at you, be rest assured that a bigger and more nerve wrecking heartbreak is just around the corner. There is no shortcut in life, I repeat. Let us love and appreciate one another for who we are and not what we are or expect to get out of the intending union.

Life would be more easy and splendid only if we begin to see it from a selfless point of view and I believe this goes out to every one of us because even I authoring this piece isn’t left out as I am equally as guilty, at least up till that very moment the liquid soup washed off through my back to the grey shinning tiles of my bathroom floor. However, I decided to live the next minute without a single guilt as I rinsed it all off by the birth of this piece and hope the towel of change is there for you as it was for me to dry it all up and then you can step out clean and ready to fit into a new garment.

A word they say is enough for the wise, you can keep using people all you want but have it at the back of your mind that you’re only helping them pave a way for a greater glory because they will definitely be getting a payback for their good deeds while you bury yourself ignorantly in life’s deepest ocean and you really don’t want to take that dive, trust me. It is a beautiful world we live in and we can choose to help each other rather than use one another. It balls down to partnership basically but the motive is what differs and really matters and that’s where we all seem to fail. You can give me a couple Naira notes because my leg stinks so badly and I’m desperately in need of a new shoe but don’t expect me to polish yours in return.

Until we get to that stage where we don’t expect something back for favors done, life seemingly would be difficult and unrealistic even in our imagination. And the truth is, we can’t imagine what we don’t believe and believing starts with setting ourselves free and that means finding our true self. I wish to go on and on but I rather just stop now when I still can because I don’t seem to trust my pen, it is really bad at patching up wounds and may bleed for days. And with that said, I am grateful for today’s inspiration and pray the good Lord helps us to reconnect with our old selfless selves and begin to love and treat one another with respect and pull each other up as we climb and not break others down to climb. God bless.

Kay Magnate

Letter To My Unborn, Aborted Child

Baba Dotun, that’s what my friends called me on that sunny afternoon as I walked home from school, my girlfriend had just aborted our baby, a child I didn’t want anything to do with and looking back to those times and how badly I chose to handle the situation, it’s fair to conclude that I was an ignorant, selfish and heartless creator ever close to been called human because I obviously wasn’t at the time and I didn’t just fail you but I failed myself and everything I stood for. I was young no doubt but was also very dumb and childish and if only I could turn back the hands of time, then I guess we would at this moment be getting set to celebrate your 17^th birthday and I definitely wouldn’t have had to struggle for the past 16 years of my life.

Apparently, you were an angel sent to me from above and nonchalantly messed it all up and also killed an innocent soul in the act and only hope my sins are forgiven even though I’ve had to pay dearly but the truth is that we can’t pay enough for taking a life we cannot create and can only continue to ask for mercy and hope someday that helps to pay in full. You know, the past years have been filled with so much drama, it just seems like I’ve been taking a step forward and five steps back when I should have been basking in his grace and I turned what should have been a blessing to more than a decade full of disaster and still paying till this day but hoping for a better tomorrow.

Well, I’ve learnt never to keep dwelling in the past and we can only learn from it and choose to live a better life as we move on. I know that I and your mother failed you but it really wasn’t her fault, I neglected her right from the very moment she told me that she was pregnant and she went through so much pain too and only hope someday she finds a place in her heart to forgive me even though she said she already has. She is a very strong woman and a goodhearted one at that and want to use this medium to thank a very close friend of mine who stood by her through those awful times even though that sure wasn’t enough because she needed my touch to constantly reassure her that everything was going to be fine but I chose to give it to other girls instead.

Son, I can’t count the number of sleepless nights I had and those mornings I woke up and wished you were lying next to me. The truth is, the devil has his ways of coming to steal from us when we least expect and incapable of making the right choices either because of the life we choose to live or the company we chose to keep and now I see one of the reasons why the bible advice that we serve the Lord in our youth because that makes it difficult for the dark faceless one to creep in and cripple a future so bight by a single mistake we make. Wish I knew God earlier, I definitely wouldn’t have picked up those cigarette sticks or poured a glass of champagne, talk more of those dry gins and bottles of my favorite lager beer I took off the crate and buried in me.

And funny enough, I picked up all these disgusting and health wrecking habits just about the time I made the biggest mistake of losing you. Ostensibly, the year 2000 was a deciding moment for me and delayed my destiny by this singular act, thus opening the door for evil to come in and can only thank the good Lord for showering me with so much grace that kept me alive till this day to be the one telling my story. You know, she was about six months gone when the abortion was carried out so there’s a face to this story and I was told he looked just like me and the thought of that kills me even more. Anyway, mum and I through the years have patched things up between us and I am sure she is doing great and misses you too. I am a grown up man now and indeed ready to take care of my responsibilities so please come back son and allow me make up for those lost years.

We can still rock those baggy jeans together, I tend to be growing younger in style everyday despite my white beards and don’t worry as well about the Nike shoes, got the store on a speed dial. I miss you son and today I’m finally free and hope the world learns from this and never mistake their blessing for a misfortune. Nothing is a mistake with God and though it may seem wrong out-rightly but if it’s destiny at work, you can never go wrong. You just have to be very careful diffusing the situation and handling it the best way possible. Our lives have been planned and scripted out even before our creation and let’s not disrupt our journey ignorantly, a single mistake can last us a whole life of pain and regret and that wouldn’t be our portion in Jesus name.

To the great people of the united states of the world, I will like to conclude by saying that this isn’t the time for sympathy and regrets, for the deed has already been done and we can only choose to educate our children so as not to find themselves making such a nasty fall that they might never be able to get up from. The road to destiny is a delicate and fragile one and the devil attacks us just at the time that our glory is about to spring up and shine bright. And to all those who find themselves rocking the same shoes like I did, it is time to stop hating yourself and do something about it.

No amount of pain and regret can change the past but we can choose to forgive our past and change the future. The future lies in our hands and the decisions we make today will determine if we are ready to let go of those bags full of worries and fear of the unknown and choose to run with the right team because there’s nothing you must have done that cannot be taken care of by the mercy of God. You just need to acknowledge your wrongs and repent from your old sinful ways and those lost years can be restored in just a twinkle of an eye. I know because I am a testimony to that and you can as well, God bless.

Kay Magnate