Spirit Pen Inspirations

  Our Hope of Glory! (Written by Joy A. Adewumi) 'Corper Ife, how can I get God to love me?' I was about to take a bite of my pie, when this question came from one of my students, Lizzy, with whom I was taking lunch. My hand stopped mid-air as I did a double take? Was this a joke? What kind of teen with a Biblical name asked that sort of question at Lizzy's age? I looked at Lizzy and knew she was dead serious with the truly curious look on her face and a hint of what's that...? Fear? Weariness? I couldn't place it, but at that moment, all thoughts of food flew from my head as I besought God for the right words to speak to this young girl sitting in front of me. She certainly wasn't joking and I knew it since the moment she asked for my audience earlier. 'Corper Ife, can I see you for a moment ma?' Lizzy had asked as I walked out of the SS2B classroom after my lecture with them. It was break time. I figured with the way Lizzy was fidgeting wit

  The Link... (Part 3) (Upon Mount Zion...) (Written by Joy A. Adewumi) That night, Mabs returned again to the cross and we took quality time throughout the weekend to deal with her struggles with the flesh in the place of prayer. The Bible says upon Mount Zion, there shall be deliverance and the house of Jacob shall possess their possession. Mabs and I turned our apartment to our Mount Zion that weekend and deliverance rained like showers. We warred using various songs that charged up our spirits and kept us at the altar. One particular song that played almost nonstop on our phones throughout our mini-retreat was "Kill my flesh" by Chevelle Franklyn. " I used to walk, talk, look just like You And You were the one before trouble came, Always kept praying. Now I was going places I wasn't sent, Was going through some changes, Staying away from You, to distraction I was true, My thoughts of you were few. Lord, kill my flesh, break my desires. Lord help m

  The Link... 2 (Coming Clean) (Written by Joy A. Adewumi) My legs gave way beneath me and I sank to the seat behind me as I heard the loud bang of Mabel's door a few short metres away. I didn't know what to think. I wasn't even sure there was anything to think. Yes, I did see an unpalatable scene on Mabel's phone screen that looked very provocative and naughty, but she could be right. It could have been a scene she didn't foresee and was going to fast-forward. But her defensiveness, how could I explain that? Okay, I knew I'd been thinking something was off since a week, that fact coupled with the scenario I stumbled across some nights back definitely must have put my suspicions on edge. I did look like I was accusing her too by the way. She probably took offence at my insinuation and got on the defensive. I probably would have done that too in her shoes... Or not? As I returned to my laundry, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and as much as I tried to

Living Our Best Lives! (Written by Joy A. Adewumi) I had only spent two days at Mide's place when I realised that something was very wrong.  On my first night at her place, she trudged in after a hard and long day's work, looking bowed under the effect of the  difficult commute between the island, where she worked and the mainland, where she lived. My heart went out to her and, I was glad I had taken the liberty of using her kitchen to prepare dinner for both of us. A week before, I had called my friend from my place of residence in Abeokuta, letting her know I would be  in Lagos for a three-day training. I'd asked if she could accommodate me for some days. She was elated and sounded excited about my request and I was sure she looked forward to it. I also did. Though finally being able to get on-board with the other trainees who would be learning from world-class chocolatier and baker Jess Sanders was like a dream come true for me, the fact that I would be coming home

A Drunk Driver! (Written by Joy A. Adewumi) Two Wednesdays ago, after what felt like the craziest day of my life,- between unfairly demanding superiors at work, a close shave with a query and Lagos hellish traffic,- I was settling in for the night when my phone dinged.  It was a notification of a new WhatsApp message from my aunt in Alberta, Canada. I shot upright in bed and with positive anticipation rushing through my vein for the first time that day and opened the message she had for me. It was a voice note. My aunt's an enigmatic person with a personality that calls, "Come hither." She's quite different from every other older relation in my life and I can't forget the numerous times I'd run to her when I was confused and at crossroads over important life decisions. She's always had a way of pointing me in the right direction and if there ever was a woman I know in whom the Spirit of God dwells, it's Aunt Abigail. Dare I forget to mention that

Guilt-free ( Written by Joy A. Adewumi) It was a beautiful rainy and cool Friday evening, perfect TGIF mood and perfect recipe for blankets, desserts and Netflix, but Rhoda was killing the mood without even trying. Rather than the normal talkativeness at the table as we took light dinner before settling into the delicious order of the evening, my roommate was brooding and pushing around my legendary Jollof rice on her plate. She hadn't even eaten a grain. I had plans for tonight, beautiful plans that did not involve pulling out a moody best friend out of her melancholy, but apparently there had to be some adjustments to the plan. 'Madam, I don't know if you've noticed but you aren't eating.' I commented after a while. 'I don't have an appetite.' The human being had the effrontery to say! She was kidding right? This is my legendary, literally award-winning Jollof rice we are talking about here! Even invalids develop appetites when my Jollof rice

Able and Faithful (Written by Joy A. Adewumi) I paced the hospital lobby as mum was rushed into the emergency ward. She just suffered a cardiac arrest and as I paced my whole body trembled. My knees were about to buckle and I knew only adrenaline was keeping me vertical. It was an obvious situation but at the same time I was finding it hard to accept. How many times had I heard of it? Someone going into cardiac arrest. A friend's parent, a lecturer, a senior colleague, but somehow seeing my mum wheeled away gave me a rude awakening! It was my mum! Yet it felt surreal. I wanted to grasp at something. Anything. My head was spinning and my eyes burned. I didn't want to cry. Crying would only make it real and though I had seen it and heard the doctor give a diagnosis, I didn't want to believe it yet. Would she make it? She hadn't always been the healthiest of people? Would her heart survive it? What if she didn't make it? What would I do? Stop! Stop! Amaka, don'