A Reason To Celebrate...

I wrote this note exactly five years ago today, and it's just as true today as it was then. Seems rather appropriate to share it on here...thoughts would be appreciated.

September 23. Nothing really special about this day for most. For me, it is a day that ought to be set aside for praise, worship and adoration. Barely three years ago on this date, I woke up with great anticipation and excitement. On this bright and beautiful Saturday, the Women of the Church of God from the U.S would be arriving in Zambia for the National Women's Conference in Lusaka. I was one of the select few that would be going to the airport and pick them up! What an honor it was...

There were two vehicles going to the airport that morning, a Toyota Land Cruiser that belonged to the Missionaries and a 4x4 Toyota pick-up truck that had been recently purchased for a new missionary family coming to Zambia. My mum and a friend of the family rode in the Land Cruiser while my Uncle and I rode in the pick-up truck. Our vehicle was second in line and we had fallen way behind from the first vehicle. My uncle, who was driving the truck decided he wanted to catch up with the other vehicle and so he sped up and before I knew it, he was really speeding. It just so happened that we came up on a curve in the road, and it was otherwise not that difficult to navigate, but because of the speed at which our vehicle was going, a series of events followed that literally changed my life.

As we came up on the curve, my uncle tried to slow down, but it was a bit too late. Our vehicle swerved and was headed straight for a brick wall on the side of the road, but my uncle tried to regain control while applying the brakes. Bad idea. I have no recollection of what happened next, but according to witnesses, my mum included, the truck was up in the air, wheels up first, hit the tarmac roof first, with both me and my uncle still inside, and skid on the tarmac for a distance of about 30 feet before stopping. Like I said, I do not have a recollection of exactly what happened, but as the vehicle was sliding on the tarmac, I had a sensation of being squeezed and air rushing out of my lungs. Then nothing. "Oscar, are you okay?" Those were the first words I heard after what seemed like an eternity. Not sure what to say, I simply replied, "Yes," then asked the same question. Then there was chaos. There were hands everywhere trying to pull me out of the truck, but there was one problem; I was trapped by my seatbelt which was still fastened. Instinctively, I pulled out my pocket knife (which I normally did not carry with me) and cut through the seatbelt and was pulled free. My uncle followed suit and got out of the car as well.

In the midst of the chaos, I heard one loud voice crying, "mwana wanga, mwana wanga!" (my son, my son in Nyanja). My mum who, from the other car had seen what had happened, was wailing at the top of her lungs, fearing the worst. When I got out of the car and saw how badly it was damaged, I couldn't help but breakdown. I began to sob uncontrollably. My mum, after seeing that I had got out of the car safe, but seeing me cry, thought it was due to some internal injuries. It took a while for me, while trying to come to terms with what had just happened, to assure her that I was fine, miraculously. Both my uncle and I had come out of the vehicle unharmed, without a single scratch! Praise the Lord!!

You might be wondering why I share this story with you on this day. For me, this day is a day when I set time apart to just praise and give thanks to God for His love for me. It was on this day, three years ago, that my mum said some very important words that have stayed with me since, and in the following days after my accident, I truly gave my life to Christ, and my life has never been the same. My mum quoted the passage from Jeremiah 29:11 and she said, "Oscar, God has saved you from this accident for a purpose, a special purpose. It is now up to you to discover what that purpose is." Every day of my life since, I believe that I'm getting closer to discovering that purpose for my life.

Life after giving my life to Christ has not been all smooth...quite the opposite. I've had times when I felt like giving up because help was not forthcoming, times when I felt really distant from God, and times when I felt as if my prayers fell on deaf ears. But Praise the Lord, because even in those moments, He provided, He answered prayer and He has laid a vision on my heart. He has placed me in a place of honor, for His name's sake, and that is why today, I ask that you may celebrate with me. Celebrate the numerous and wonderful things that God has done in your life. Count your blessings today and see if you can name them one by one! Take a moment, after reading this, and give praise to God, because His love endures forever and ever!

Celebrate His love and goodness!
Blessings...

"Ubuntu" (I Am Because You Are)

A few days ago, on my Facebook page, I posted something based on an observation I had made concerning Zambian politics and the local media. These days, whenever I listen to the news, or watch it on TV, or read the newspaper, one theme sticks out like a weed: the way politicians seem to be keenly and impatiently waiting on any news that the President is unwell, or that his health is failing. I have observed that several of these so-called politicians are so desperate to be in power that they go to the extent of wishing someone dead. What a shame!

What kind of times are we living in when you wish for the demise of your fellow human being as a stepping stone to power? Instead of wishing for death, why not take time to pray for the good health of our President? He is OUR President---YOURS and MINE, whether you like it or not! That is a fact. Now, I realize some people might coin me a “PF Cadre” after this, actually I am not; merely a concerned citizen. Why not take time to pray for the leadership of this country? Whatever happened to the spirit of “Ubuntu”? (Ubuntu is a Bantu term roughly translating to “human kindness.” It is an idea from the Southern African region which means literally “human-ness,” and is often translated as “humanity towards others,” and in a more philosophical sense, it means “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity.” Ubuntu essentially means…I am because you are). Whatever happened in this so-called “Christian Nation”? Whatever happened to “One Zambia One Nation”?

I don’t know about you, but my heart bleeds when I see what’s happening to my beloved country. I don’t know if I can go around telling people I am a proud Zambian. I feel shame calling Zambia my home because of what is currently happening. Where are the youths of this country? Ever hear that phrase “Youths are the leaders of tomorrow.” I wonder how the youths of this country are going to lead when they’re getting high day in day out, seems alcohol is the new air to breathe for some youths today. We gotta make a change…

Time to get back to basics…

Who Am I (Part 1)

After somewhat of a long hiatus, I have decided it’s about time I got back to blogging again. And the whole world erupts into joyous applause! Just kidding, would be nice though…

In my life so far, I have on numerous occasions encountered the question “Who are you?” Now you may be thinking to yourself, “well, that’s easy, I know who I am.” And indeed that’s true for some people, and yet unfortunately, for a large majority, that’s a really tough question. You see, it stems out of the fact that, honestly speaking, some people have no clue who they are. That, if you ask me, is a very sad situation in this day and era. And because people do not know who they are, they don’t know what their purpose is. Ever encountered certain people in your life and you go “I don’t know what he/she is doing with her life” or “balya, balya ni chimbwi no plan” (a hyena with no plan—Bemba saying). You’re probably smiling to yourself just now because you know exactly who I’m talking about. Yeah, sad to say, they probably do not know who they are, and it can be inferred, they don’t know what their purpose is.

I had a good laugh when I watched the Jackie Chan movie “Who Am I” about a Secret Service agent who loses his memory after a helicopter crash. For the good part of the movie, the main character, played by Chan seeks clues that will aid him in figuring out who he is. I think it sets a good precedence for how most, if not all of us, must earnestly search for and try and find out who we really are, because I can assure you that life is better lived when you know yourself. Otherwise, (excuse my poor Bemba) bambi mwakulaba ba “Ukwalola umwela”, (where the wind blows, that’s the way you turn. Because you don’t know who you are, if someone comes and says, “Let’s go drink” (and I don’t mean drinking water), you’re there. “Let’s do drugs”, you’re there. Someone tells you “You’re an idiot, you’re stupid, you’re useless” and you’ll be there smiling like someone has given you the greatest compliment when in actuality; they’ve given you the greatest insult. Know who YOU are! Because I can guarantee you that that question will always be there. When you go for a job interview and the interviewer asks, “please tell us a bit about yourself,” guess what they’re asking? Tell us who you are! Some people have missed out on job opportunities because they don’t have a clue how to answer that question, because they do not know WHO THEY ARE! Know WHO YOU ARE!

Sometimes in life too, I think we could all use a friend like “Rafiki” from “The Lion King”. Sometimes we forget who we are due to various happenings and circumstances in our lives. We take on a different identity and are not true to ourselves, true to who we are. Sometimes we need the kind of people that aren’t scared to bump us on the head and remind us who we are. I can hear Rafiki going “Oh yes, the truth can hurt…” Surround yourself with people who know who you are, and aren’t afraid to remind you every once in a while who you are.

And from knowing who you are, you can go on to discover what your purpose is in life, but that’s a topic for another time.

All the best of luck finding out who you are…

Even Though I Walk Through The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death...

For most people, Sunday started off as a normal day, got up early in the morning, getting ready to go to church and all. Not so for me, sadly. I woke up Sunday morning with a slight headache. It was the kind of headache you sorta brush aside thinking it'll go away pretty soon...

I got myself ready for church. About midway through the service, I started feeling dizzy and a bit lightheaded. At first I brushed it aside just like I did the headache, but the feeling just wouldn't go away. Owing to my college days when I didn't have breakfast on Sunday mornings, I thought perhaps this trend was catching up to me. I got outta church and had a quick snap, thinking perhaps it was due to the fact I had not had breakfast in the morning. I took some pain killers as well for the headache that was fast becoming a nuisance. I went back into church.

The headache, dizziness, and lightheadedness started getting worse. Just simple noises were wrecking havoc inside my brain, everything was starting to feel really weird. I told my parents I was going back home to rest and sleep it off. 

Whatever it was that stirred my Dad to follow me (I have no doubt it was God). He immediately checked my blood pressure. He had to redo it because, according to him, he could not believe what he was reading. My blood pressure reading was 100/30. It doesn't take one to have any medical background to realize this was extremely low and needed immediate and urgent attention. I had an acute case of Hypotension . My Dad prayed with and for me. He quickly called a friend of his who is better equipped to handle certain matters and he was advised to quickly start an IV to get fluids into my system. FAST! My dad rushed to a nearby medical center and got what was needed. The person at the medical center, when informed of the situation and told the blood pressure readings asked, "Is the patient still alive?" 

My dad got back as soon as he could, started me on the IV, and before even the started, checked my BP, and thankfully, it had started to go back up. I continued to take fluids and all Sunday afternoon, and my BP continued to fluctuate, rising steadily and at times stabilizing, then it would drop again. 

It's Tuesday afternoon as I'm writing this. I woke up this morning and my headache, dizziness, and lightheadedness are all gone. My blood pressure is slowly by surely getting back to it's optimal reading, and I am getting my strength back. God is good my friends. 

Medically speaking, at the level my blood pressure reading was at on Sunday morning when my dad first checked, if he had not done so at the exact time and initiated an intervention, my heart would have stopped. Had my dad not followed me out of church and done what he did, I would have died. I believe, more than ever, that it was God all along. He saved me, yet again, because He is not quite done with me just yet. He loves me so much...

I am still trying to come to terms with the events of the last few days, but one thing I know beyond a single ounce of doubt, is that I am loved.

"For I know the plans I have towards you, says the LORD, plans for peace and not evil, plans to give you hope and a future," Jeremiah 29:11. 

Be blessed my friends...

Five Days of Being Thankful: Day 1- Thankful to be Alive, Thankful for Second Chances...

5...4...3...2...1 It's finally here. I have been looking forward to this day for a while now, and in less than a few hours, it will be here, finally. May 5. The day I was born, 25 years ago tomorrow. I am excited to celebrate this awesome day!

Every second, every minute, every hour, day, week, month, year that we get to live is a gift from above, a second chance if you will, to get it right. For the past twenty-four (24) years of my life, God in His infinite love and grace has given me second chances to “get it right” countless times, but one in particular stands out.

Seven years ago. Car accident. Left vehicle without a single scratch. Turning point in my life. Given a second shot, a second chance to get it right. How my life has turned out since that day I can never begin to fully describe…God has truly been faithful and has blessed my life abundantly. Sometimes I don’t quite see all that and I get frustrated with life, angry, disappointed, discouraged…I thank God though that through all that, He still remains faithful. Reminds me of the parable that Jesus taught about The Good Shepherd, and also the words in Psalm 23 come to mind, “The Lord is my shepherd….” Even when I go astray and wander from the path He sets out for me, He still remains the good shepherd in my life. How amazing is that?

As I look forward to celebrating my 25^th birthday tomorrow (May 5), I take a moment to look back and thank God for keeping me safe and watching over me all the time, for the many second chances He has granted me, and I am eternally thankful to be alive!

God of a second chance…

Five Days of Being Thankful: Day 2- Thankful for Family

There are a few things in this life that we live that we cannot choose, one of them being the kind of family one is born into. It’s not like one can stand in an isle lined with all kinds of families and we get to make a selection…God in His divine wisdom places up in the places we are for a specific purpose.

Today, I want to take time to thank the Almighty for the family He has blessed me with, a wonderful father and mother, amazing sisters and then some. There are times when I have wondered what life would be like if we all got to have a say in the kinds of families we have. One thing I know for sure though, is that I would not be the kind of person I am today had it not been for my family. And if I should say so myself, I think I turned out alright…most of the time!

But family is not just limited to one’s biological parents or siblings, family transcends all that. There are people I have met in my life that are part of my family; not biological, but because we share the same values, principles, goals, beliefs, and because of the blood of the lamb, we are all part of God’s family. I am thankful for the people in my life I regard as family and who do the same regarding me. I am grateful I have family virtually all over the world, I am indeed blessed.

Through my work as Project Director with Horizon International (Zambia), I have witnessed firsthand the importance of family, and the negative effects of the lack of it. I have, and I am learning never to take family for granted; you never know when it might be taken away from you. The kids I work with have taught me this invaluable lesson, and continue to teach me daily, and I have come to appreciate my family all the more. I have come to cherish the times we have shared moments together and made memories, those times I will hold dear for the rest of my life.

I am thankful…

Be blessed.

Five Days of Being Thankful: Day 3- Thankful for Grace...

On September 23, 2006, I was involved in a horrific car accident that forever changed my life. Most of my friends and family know the details of this accident as I have shared with them countless times the events of that day. I will not go into details here about the crash, but one thing I do want to focus on, was the events that took place after the crash.

In the aftermath of the accident, my mum said something to me that has shaped my life to this very day. Her words were, “Oscar, God has saved you for a purpose…it’s now up to you to discover what that purpose is,” she said as she quoted Jeremiah 29:11 (my favorite verse). At the time, I don’t think I fully comprehended the full ramifications of these words. To date, these words resonate in my mind as if they are being spoken right now. It’s words that I took to heart and fully embraced; I have strived each and every day, sometimes maybe not as hard as I probably should, to live out these words in my life. I have made mistakes, I have erred at times. I have fallen short of my expectations at times but I am eternally thankful for grace…

Through His mercy and grace, I was able to fulfill my childhood dream of studying abroad as I was accepted and successfully earned a degree in Business Management from Anderson University in Indiana, USA. Except for grace. By grace, I have met and made lifelong friends both during my time at AU and after. Except for His grace, I would not be alive today, but because He still has plans and a purpose for my life, I am alive! By His grace, God has blessed me with a job that has helped me realize the calling upon my life to help make a difference in people’s lives through service. I am eternally thankful for this…

So today, I am taking time to thank God for His plans upon my life, for His awesome purpose that He is unfolding and revealing each and every day. I thank God for you, because you are a part of the plans and purpose that God is revealing in my life.

Be blessed…

Five Days of Being Thankful: Day 4- Thankful for Friends

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” ― William Shakespeare

Today, I am really thankful for the many and awesome friends in my life, that means you. Yes, YOU! I am thankful for you. Good friends are hard to come by, and so when you find that person that allows you to be you and loves you for it, hold on to them, for in them, you have found a true friend.

Friendship hasn’t always come easy for me, mostly because up until a few years back, I found it hard to trust people. Three incidents led to this. When I was young, my very close friends and I got separated; our family had to move away and with no form of communication, it became extremely difficult to stay in touch. I did not deal with this well. It became hard for me to get close with people as I felt we would get separated and be hurt all over again. There is a happy ending to this story however; after 13+ years without seeing each other, we got reunited!

The second incident involves a personal loss I experienced when I was 13 years old. I had a cousin with whom I grew very close; we were almost inseparable. We could share anything and everything, she was my best friend. When she died in tragic circumstances (her soul R.I.P.), I was devastated. I felt betrayed; why would the one person I was this close to leave me? I swore never again…

To add to all this, the betrayal at the hands of someone close, a friend…it all seemed too much at the time and further reinforced my resolve to never again let anyone in.

Over the years, through sharing with my family, asking God to help break down the walls I had so painstakingly built around my heart, I have steadily come to trust again. In doing so, I have found true friendship in some of the most unlikely of places, and for that, I am thankful. Henri J.M. Nouwen sums it up really well when he says: “When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”  The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey

And it has definitely been very true in my life that “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.” ― Muhammad Ali. I have and I am learning the true value and meaning of friendship, something that should not be given, or taken for granted.

So, today, I am thankful for the many people in my life I am blessed to call friend. You know who you are…

Five Days of Being Thankful: Day 5- Thankful for my Job

Today marks exactly five (5) days till my birthday, so an idea popped into my head; I was born on the fifth of the fifth month of the year. I know! How about I do five days of being thankful leading up to the day of my birthday! Genius!

Today, I am thankful for my job at Horizon International (Zambia). Ever since I was a child, and even more so after the horrific car crash I was involved in back in 2006, the crash that was a turning point in my life, I have prayed that God would show me and reveal to me His plans and purpose for my life. The one thing that’s been very clear from the get-go was that God wanted to use my life to make a difference in other people’s lives.

This job at Horizon allows me to do just that. Make a difference in the world, one person at a time. I work with orphans and vulnerable children. God is using me to help bring a message of hope and love to His children who sometimes feel abandoned, forgotten, unloved, and uncared for due to their circumstances. Through this program, kids are being reminded of God’s unending love for them, that He has not forgotten them! If you could see the smile on their faces when they hear this, when you remember their name, when you wrap your arms around them and show them you care. The joy it brings to their hearts and souls. I live to see those smiles, to see their lives changed, to see my life changed.

So, today, I am thankful for the opportunity God has given me to serve, to be a blessing, to be a world changer!

When One Door Closes...

If I were to count how many challenging weeks I’ve had in my life so far, this week would undoubtedly be one of them. It didn’t start off that way however. On Sunday, I was leading praise and worship at my home church and even chaired the church service. It was a wonderful day of celebrating the risen Christ...the Zambian way! My mother preached a sermon simply entitled “The Celebration” alluding to the celebration that Mary Magdalene had when she came face to face with the risen Christ. And so, with that in mind, I was ready to have a wonderful week ahead. But alas, despite my efforts to do so, it seemed I got bad news after bad news. I was left deflated. My relationships were failing, some friendships broken, an employment opportunity gone wrong, plans going in disarray...to mention but a few. I am seldom the person that openly shares feelings, one of my many flaws no doubt, and the whole time, all this was eating me up inside. I kept thinking...what is it that I must be doing so horribly wrong in my life? Was this the life that God had planned for me? Was my best not good enough any longer? Doors were closing left and right and I felt numb...and depressed.

While having breakfast this morning, my parents, in their usual cheerful manner, reminded me of something that really convicted me. See, sometimes we make plans for how we want our lives to go, in a place where it’s most convenient and comfortable for us, but then, where does that leave God’s plans for us? God, in His infinite power and love, has the best plans for our lives, “plans to give us hope and a future, plans to prosper us and not to harm us,” (Jeremiah 29:11) and He has also promised that if we trust in Him with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding, He and He alone will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). It seems along the way, I had forgotten these words and had been relying on my own understanding, trying to do it my way, and the end result was that I was left frustrated. Doors were closing around me and that was all I could see. My parents reminded me that when a door closes, another one WILL SURELY be opened! Many are the time that when a door closes we focus so intently on the shut door we miss out on seeing the other open door.

As I write this, I am not entirely sure what that open door looks like and what it has in store for me, but I am assured of this one thing, that no matter what, God’s got my back. If I trust Him to lead me, He will surely unveil His awesome plans that He has for my life.

Whatever storms of life you may be going through, I urge that you are reminded of the words of Jesus in the midst of the storm, “Peace, be still.” And remember, when one door closes, another will surely be opened!

May you be blessed.

Beyond Fear

It has been a while since I sat down and decided to put my thoughts in writing and share with you all, but hopefully this is the beginning of a change in that regard.

A couple of weeks ago, on a bright and rather windy Sunday morning, I was given the privilege of leading the Bible Study session at my home church in Lusaka. This was not the first time that I was accorded such an opportunity, nor was it the last. Prior to leading the session that morning, I had prayed and asked God to give me the right words and topic to lead the discussion. The topic for this particular morning was “Beyond Fear”. The text was from the book of Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears,” (NIV). I opened the discussion by posing a question about the audience’s personal fears. It was quite astounding to listen to people name their fears, and sometimes more so because some fears were common than we could have imagined.

The past couple of months that I have been home with family have been some of the best, and surprisingly some of the most challenging months since my Graduation from AU. Coming home after being away for about three years was a huge blessing, but perhaps I had my expectations set so high that when reality hit, I was left quite disappointed at times. This is in regards to finding work. I have applied for more jobs than I care to count, all in my area of study and well within my scope of a career, but it has been frustrating at times to wait for several weeks on end without so much as a whisper from potential employers. I began to live in fear…fear that a job opportunity would not open up anytime soon.

Norman Vincent Peale, in his address on the topic of fear, had this simple advice to give. He said, “Do not build up obstacles in your imagination. Difficulties must be studied and dealt with, but they must not be magnified by fear.” The author of this particular topic then stresses that Peale is absolutely right—"the decision to face a fear instead of running from it is always an exercise in character building." I found myself being challenged by these words, and little did I know that as I shared that morning, other people would find encouragement in these words. See, most of the time we are confronted by fears so big and scary that we forget the simple, yet very reassuring words of Jesus when He spoke to His disciples saying, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid,” Matthew 14:27, NIV). We tend to magnify these fears till we are consumed by them, by worrying about them till kingdom come. At times, when I have found myself deep in thought worrying about something, I mean let’s face it, as human beings, we sometimes cannot help but worry about things despite the command of Christ not to worry (Matthew 6:25-34). Whenever I find myself worrying, the image of a rocking chair and the quote about worry and a rocking chair comes to mind. “Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but doesn’t take you anywhere.” It’s so easy to get caught up worrying about earthly things, but at the end of the day, last I checked, worrying about somethin’ don’t make it better.

As I continue pressing on and remaining steadfast in my job search, I pray for one thing, that God would not lead me to a “safe” place, but that He would lead me to the “right” place. See, the safe place is where anyone of us would want to be--free from worry, anxiety, trouble, and everything is all good. But it may not necessarily be the best place for us, because it is a place of our choosing. Instead, we should yearn to be led to the right place, because that is the place that God has pre-ordained for us. He does, after all, have all the best intentions and plans in store for us (Jeremiah 29:11). The safe place and the right place are seldom the same; the only and most important difference is this: the right place is God’s place.

So next time you find yourself being fearful or worrying, I hope you can take comfort in these words. Remember…”When we meditate on God and remember the promises He has given us in His word, our faith grows, and our fears dissolve,” ~ Charles Stanley.

Be blessed.

And The Beat Goes On...

What a week it has been! Wonderful memories made, albeit some bittersweet, but wonderful nonetheless. This past week, two important milestones came to fruition in my life. I got to celebrate my twenty third birthday on May 5th and two days later, celebrated my graduation from college!

I have been looking forward to celebrating my twenty third birthday for quite some time, mainly in part due to the second milestone in my life--graduating from college. For the third time in four years and during my time at Anderson University, I was done with exams the day before my big day. I hated it my freshmen year when I discovered my birthday would be during finals week, but it has been a joy that the last three years I have had no finals on May 5th. Coincidentally, my birthday is also the day when the Mexican populace commemorates Cinco de Mayo, celebrating Mexican heritage and pride, and the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. As has been tradition two years running, some friends of mine made way to Real Hacienda, a Mexican Restaurant in Anderson to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and my 23rd birthday. It was a joyous occasion that entailed amazing Mexican cuisine, a Sombrero, and getting my face plastered with pie. Afterwards, my friends gathered at my house and threw a surprise birthday party and dance party. A memorable night I will soon not forget.

Two days later, I woke up frantically and realized I was running late...to my graduation! Not a great start to what would turn out to be a most excellent day! lol. The night before, I had in mind to set my alarm to 7:35am in order to give myself adequate time to shower and get dressed, and be in the Decker Breezeway (where all graduates were asked to meet) at 9:15am. My alarm went off at 8:35, how that happened I have no clue. Needless to say, I frantically got up, took a very, very quick shower , got dressed and practically ran to get to Decker in time. It took us about 40 minutes to get ready and make our way into Reardon Auditorium for the Baccalaureate service that morning, during which time I realized I had no need to rush to get to the breezeway.

We made our way into Reardon in two lines and were seated by ushers. It was quite a spectacle in Reardon, seeing the AU Chorale ready to sing their hearts out to mark this special occasion. Our guest speaker that morning was the Reverend Charles Myricks Jr., better known as Chuck. He proceeded to give a wonderful sermon about dreams, knowing who the interpreter for our dreams is--God--and allowing Him and trusting Him to know the plans for our lives. The service concluded with the singing of the Alma Mater.

Following the service, I made my way to the second floor of Decker Hall to attend the Cultural Resource Center (CRC) Graduate Reception. The CRC houses the offices of International Student Services (ISS) and Multicultural Student Services (MSS). It was good to meet with friends and family, to chill for a bit in the midst of all the craziness that was going on. The highlight of the day came when my aunt Suzanne, accompanied by my uncle Paul and my cousin Paul Jr., waled in after driving the whole morning from Maryland. She is one of the people that played a vital role in my coming to the U.S. for school, she picked me up at the airport my very first day in the States, and helped me get settled into college. She was there when it all began, and I couldn't be happier that she here, finally, at the end of my journey at AU.

After the reception, I made my way into Reardon Auditorium once more and this time we got lined up in order, and given instructions for Commencement. We made the long walk from Reardon to the Kardatzke Wellness Center for Commencement--a long, bittersweet walk. The honorary isle--with Professors and Staff members lined up on either side--was all set up as we walked into Kardatzke, a final opportunity to say thanks and bye to some of the most amazing teachers and people I have ever had the privilege of getting to know. At the end of the isle stood University President Dr. James Edwards and the guest speaker for Commencement, Steven Curtis Chapman, who would later be awarded the honorary title of Doctor. He proceeded to give a well thought out speech and received a arousing applause afterwards, and then...the moment we had all been waiting for arrived. First came the Doctoral and Master of Theology and Divinity degrees, followed by the Doctoral and Master degrees in Business Administration and Nursing, and finally, the Bachelor of Arts degrees. I waited anxiously and nervously as names were called, and finally heard my name called. I couldn't resist the hand-pumping-finger-pointing-to-the-sky-face-turned-to-the-camera gesture as I walked up to shake President Edwards' hand and receive the empty folder with a letter from the Financial Services office explaining that due to a financial hold on my account, I was not getting my degree just yet. That did not deter me from giving the crowd a big smile and in turn, smiled at the camera. After barely sitting down, I got a text from my mum letting me know they had seen me walk across the stage via live webcast made possible by AU, and I couldn't help the rush of emotion that came over me with that text. I was happy and I wasn't afraid to let the whole world know. I had made it. God had seen me through! What a wonderful day! But it was far from over...

Following the end of Commencement, we made our way into the O.C Lewis Gymnasium for a reception as there was fear that the grounds outside were too wet for this event. After half an hour of mingling and taking pictures with friends and family, it was time to head out to the York Seminary Apartments for a joint Open House Party with Hellen Obwoge, a School of Theology graduate from Kenya. It was a wonderful time with family and friends, enjoying some Kenyan and American cuisine and snacks, followed by a few words from both parties.

It's been a few days since the day of graduation, but I am still not over the euphoria of that day, nor of the day I celebrated my 23rd birthday. You could say I am still in the honeymoon stage of post graduation. I have a somewhat obscure picture of what the next few weeks and months are going to look like, but I have also come to know that sometimes what we think is the way is not God's way, and it's therefore, cardinal that we learn to trust God for direction. I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that God will open and is opening doors for the next chapter of my life, but in the mean time...the beat goes on.

Did I Miss the Announcement?

Ode to Leroy Jethro Gibbs, leading character of my favorite T.V. show NCIS for the title of this post :)

There are certain times I like to sit down and ponder things that are going on around me in this day and age, and there are some things that I observe that when I think about them, I ask myself the question, "Did I miss the announcement?" I mean, since when is being a jerk considered the "new cool"? I have observed so many of my fellow males act like complete jerks towards other people, especially those of the opposite gender, and their friends giving them pats on the back and high-fiving them like it's no man's business. What? You think it's cool or something? Some say chivalry is dead, (I don't believe it is) but even so, what happened to acting civilized in front of other people? Whenever I think about acting like a jerk towards somebody, the image of my mama comes to mind and I remember her words. The prospect of her popping out of nowhere with a wooden stick scares the hell out of me too! lol And so when I observe my fellow young men (and sometimes boys) acting like jerks like it's the coolest thing on the block, I ask myself, "Did I miss the announcement?"

I'm in the cafeteria of our student center during Sunday brunch one afternoon and I am in front of these two male students and I happen to eavesdrop on their conversation (I mean, would I be too far from the truth in assuming we've all done it at some point in our lives?). Anyways, these two guys are in to it debating over a particular topic. I couldn't help laugh a little, but also feel really sad at the conversation I was eavesdropping on. These two guys were busy debating whether or not "Jewish" was a religion. I mean, last I checked, Jewish (or Jewish people) are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating with the Israelites or Hebrews. Judaism is the traditional faith of the nation. On so many other occasions, I have been left speechless and dumbfounded at the level of ignorance exhibited by some of my peers. "Do you speak African?" "Do you ride elephants to school back home?" "Do you know such and such a person? He's from Africa?" And a personal favorite, "You are from Africa right? Did you leave a wife and children to come to school in America?" Please note this is not intended to be a pun on my brothers and sisters that I have had the privilege of getting to know during my time in the States, but sometimes things like that boggle my mind. If we are going to continue to brag that our generation is so much advanced technologically, which makes access to information so much easier, shouldn't we take time to read up and become knowledgeable on some of these issues? We can no longer condone mediocrity and ignorance, not in this day and age. But when I encounter such mediocrity and ignorance, and some people being okay with it, I ask myself, "Did I miss the announcement?"

On occasion, I like to go online and read up on the current affairs in my home country reported by the major newspapers. I came across an article in The Post Newspaper, the country's leading news reporter, about drinking. The article had the following title, "You are not drunk until you are belegede (basically passed out or...worse)." While the article in of itself was in no way advocating drunkenness, it highlighted the drinking situation at home. Basically, it has become the norm that on weekend's, most Zambians (particularly the youth) indulge the bottle and feel there is no point of drinking unless you are belegede. Such is the moral decay of our society that this article made me sick to my stomach. Since when is getting drunk on the weekend a social norm? And since when is being belegede the acceptable standard for drinking? "Did I miss the announcement?"

Recently, due to technological innovation and advancement, I have been able to reconnect with some of my friends from back home through Facebook--friends that I went to high school with. Now, this is in not intended to question the moral character of my friends. One thing that I have seen as a trend is that when most of my friends post pictures on Facebook, it's pictures of their kids. Now, I graduated from high school in 2005,...so quite some time has elapsed and things do happen, people change, blah blah blah. So sometimes I imagine myself, at 23 here in a couple of weeks, having one, two, maybe three kids, and of course, it's just my imagination running wild. There are times I feel like I'm being left behind you know, know that feeling? But then again, this is not a race or about who has the most kids by a certain point. But I wonder sometimes, when I sit down and ponder such things, I find myself asking the question, "Did I miss the announcement?"

And so the countdown begins...

Yes, I would be one to start a countdown a month away from such an important milestone in my life, but you know what? I am totally okay with that. I know of some people that start a countdown a year from the actual date, and I am okay with that. Some start it six months before, three months before, a week before, a day before, or, if you really want to be really picky, hours, minutes, or even seconds before and guess what? I am okay with that too! :)

I mentioned it's an important milestone in my life, well, it's actually two important milestones in my life, as to which is more important, well, I'll save that for another time. The first and closer (by about 48 hours), yes, I am counting the hours, is my 23rd birthday (May 5th). In the summer of 2008 when I went back home, I had a wonderful opportunity to speak during a church service at my home church in Lusaka, Zambia. I shared about how God has blessings in store for us, but we sometimes fail to claim them. I used an example of having a certain amount of blessings in store each day, and all you have to do is claim them. Feeling the need to explain this point further, I used the number 23, joking that I chose that number because I would be 23 when I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. It was a prophesy to some degreel. What if you had 23 blessings (I am not in any way trying to limit the number of blessings for you because in fact, they are countless) just waiting for you each day you woke up, and all you had to do was say, "Lord, I am claiming my blessings for today?" Anyways, 23 has become somewhat of a significant number for me, for some reason or another, and I find myself waiting eagerly and in great anticipation of my 23rd birthday.

The second milestone is my graduation, which as of today, is exactly only a month away. Scary yet exciting! This is a major achievement for me, not only graduating, but the realization of a childhood dream to one day study abroad. God answered my prayers in a huge way but opening doors to AU for me, and on May 7th, walking up that aisle onto the platform and receiving my diploma is a way of saying, "I did it" and more importantly, "God did it for me!"

And so, with that said, the countdown begins: 28 days till my 23rd birthday, and 30 days till Graduation/ Commencement!

Tick...tock...tick...tock....

A bittersweet feeling...

This past weekend, the International Student Association (ISA) at Anderson University (AU) hosted the International Dinner: Recognition Dinner- a semi-annual event that seeks to fulfill the ISA mission of sharing culture with the AU and Anderson communities. For those that know my story, it should not come as a surprise when i say I have been involved in the ISA all four years of my time here at AU, serving as Vice President in my Sophomore year of college and as President in my Junior and Senior years. Nonetheless, April 2nd, 2011, the date of the event this semester, marked the 8th time in a row that I have attended the International Dinner at AU, and sad to say, my last as an undergraduate student and as President.

The very first time I stepped on the AU campus, I was met by students that were in the ISA and who served on the ISA Council. These particular students went to great lengths to make sure that, as an incoming international student, my transition to life in a new environment was a smooth one. Their presence was a major factor in my acculturation process. This was the birth of a passion in me-a passion and desire to give back to this organization. And so, leading up to my Sophomore year, I was encouraged and expressed interest in serving on the ISA Council, for me, a chance to give back. in a rather unprecedented turn of events, I found myself taking on the role of Vice President. I made a commitment to myself, a commitment to help other incoming students adjust to their new life and environment, a commitment to do all I could to ensure the transition process was smooth. This became my driving force in my years of service, and it has been an incredibly wonderful journey. And like most journeys, it has had its ups and downs, the low points when all I wanted to do was call it quits, but the force (not to confuse this with "the force") kept me going in those rough times.

It's kinda crazy as we near the end of this semester, and for me, as is the case for most seniors at AU, the end of our Undergraduate journey, to look back to how far we've come, and as sad it may be, that we have made it. We also look to the future with anticipation, excited to discover what lies ahead in the next phase of this journey we call life. As I look back, I cannot help but express my heartfelt thanks and appreciate to all who have played such an important role in my journey. You have helped enrich my experience, and your support and encouragement these past few years has meant so much to me. From the bottom of my heart, zikomo kwambiri.

Finally, as the days trickle by and May 7th draws closer and closer, as sad as it is that these are my final days at AU, I am so excited to see what God has in store for me. The following words bring so much comfort and so much hope for me: "I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds my tomorrow."

Stay blessed.

Life According to Mother Teresa.

Ran across this quote by Mother Teresa and thought I should share...

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

Live Life Like You Mean It.