Loud and alive

Do you remember life before the internet?

That’s what it was.

While the internet created the illusion of global village, before its existence we went out every searching for our tribe.

We appreciated one another more and paid attention.

Perhaps we didn’t appreciate the manual stuff back then, but with the advent of AI I’d bet a lot of early millennials and older wouldn’t mind turning back the hand of time.

Hangouts meant something! We looked at each other and not at our phones! Everything was ORGANIC,.

We were outside! you went out to see a friend, to the video rental club to get a movie, to the arcade to play games.

LIFE WAS OUTSIDE!!!

Don’t get me wrong. The internet isn’t bad… it exists with its many uses, but also confines us to a bubble in which we behave be one dependent whether is our social life, career or day to day.

This prompt is a wake up call to the older generation to be remember what is what like before the internet and teach the younger gen how beautiful life ought to be when we live outside our minds, eye and fingers

Thinking Out Loud: On Faith and Fallibility

Hi, this is me thinking out loud and I think that everyone has a chance at choice.

Sometimes it’s a one-way street, but then again, sometimes we get a do-over. It seems impossible, yes, but somehow the miracle just does it for us.

But then again, some do-overs are even more regrettable than the original action.

In this life, you can only get it right once. That’s what I think.

And even where the idea of reincarnation is a possibility, it is totally a new game, it’s a new chance.

Yes, it’s also a fresh start, and most of us get to know nothing about it. We just act as though the universe presses the reset button on us and, in another state of being, in another time and perhaps another place, we are reborn — an ideology not everyone accepts.

Some of us don’t accept this. In fact, most of us don’t. But some can accept that they can make all the mistakes in this one lifetime and have all that wrong wiped away, wiped clean, because they fall under the banner of the Son of God. Thus, all sin is forgiven.

Or there are those who believe they are a chosen people by lineage or by religion, and so all the hurt and dehumanization they mete out to their neighbors is justified.

Amazing.

I choose to believe that we are all fallible beings, just like every other creature on this earth.

Maybe even worse than every other creature on earth.

And because of how fallible we are, the way forward is to be more mindful of who and what we choose to be on a daily basis.

And instead of always focusing on the physical you, the physical me, I think that how our physical actions affect our spiritual being is most important.

Have you ever wondered what you — your spiritual being — looks like?

If you were to choose a colour for your spirit, what would it be? As Christians like myself, let me guess: you would imagine that you are crimson and that our Lord and Saviour comes on a daily basis and cleanses us to make us white as snow.

We think this while we act out our imperfections daily.

We hold on to this ideology, this faith, but it has damaging consequences as we no longer even try to create a better image of the self-spirit. We become lazy about our spiritual housekeeping. We hold on to this faith, this idea, while we dirty the room, depending on the idea to serve as our one clean-up strategy.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Jesus Christ, for He is my personal Lord and Saviour, but I will never hold Him to this ransom. This is what a lot of us — the majority of the faithful — do. And I don’t even blame them, because they are misled by religious leaders who have chosen to weaponize the faith, just like other faiths,

and it is all for selfish ambition — the wars, the hunger.

All for selfish ambition.

FaILurE

“Failure is tantamount to death”

Such poor sense of reality

A beautiful nonsense

to imagine: to fall is to end

But as failing is to falling

So is falling to standing

why choose to sit in the muck?

to what end, I ask?

Only cowards eat the sand beneath them.

Do not misunderstand me

I am not insensitive.

I too have eaten the dust beneath me

It is a bitter experience

but a better chance still I find is it

to stand and try once more

Is this not what life is about?

Yes, I have tasted the sand

and been a coward far too long

but then learned:

where there is FaILurE, these is also “LIFE“

Experiencing God’s Presence Beyond Worship

There’s something I haven’t done in a while — just speaking straight from the heart.
Usually, I’d write it all down, but lately, I haven’t had the strength for that. Still, this question has been sitting heavy on my mind, and I don’t want to hold it in any longer. I don’t want to grow cynical about my faith.

So here I am, just putting it out there — hoping that maybe someone will understand what I’m trying to say.

Recently, I was listening to a live worship session. I noticed something that’s always been there. This time, it really struck me. The worship leader said something like, “We’re going to feel the presence of the Lord tonight!”

And I realized how often I hear that phrase — Come and feel the power of God. Come and feel His presence. Experience His love tonight.

It’s everywhere in how gatherings, events, and worship nights are advertised. And it made me pause.

Because sometimes… it feels commercialized.
Almost like we’re trying to sell people an experience — like we’re offering them air, when air is already all around us.

Why do we make it seem like the love or presence of God is something confined to a church building, or a particular atmosphere?
Why can’t we remind people that God’s love can be felt right where they are — in the quiet of a new morning, in good health, in the warmth of family and friends?

Yes, it’s beautiful to gather with others in worship — there’s power and encouragement in community. But we shouldn’t give the impression that that is the only place God’s love resides.

His presence isn’t an event.
It’s existence itself.
Every breath, every sunrise, every moment of peace is proof that His love is still here.

I think we sometimes sensationalize His presence — we turn it into something to be felt rather than lived. But maybe to truly feel the love of God, we also have to love Him in return.

If you don’t carry love for God in your heart, how can you recognize His love when it’s already around you? It’s not that His love arrives only when the music swells or the preacher calls for it — it’s that our hearts finally open to notice it.

Maybe I’m overthinking this. Maybe not.
But it’s something I needed to say — and maybe, someone out there feels the same.

—
(Thank you for reading. If you’ve ever thought about this too, I’d love to hear your perspective.)

I LOVE Coffee… Drink with me.

The Courage to Evolve

This might sound cliché, but I think it takes a lot of bravery to evolve, to make a shift from what you’ve always done and try something entirely different from what you’ve always known. Think of it as embarking on a journey to a strange land all by yourself. The funny part is, you asked for it, desired it, believed 100% that your happiness lies there, and it’s all you’ve ever wanted.

Embarking on an uncertain journey to meet a new you.

So, you get on this journey; all you have and trust is hope. Hope, because you’re uncertain of the roadmaps, you’ve never met that version of you because you’ve never walked that path, so you don’t even know what the outcome will be – and it scares you. But it’s better to do it afraid because staying in a familiar rut will eventually tire you out and sicken you. So, you move… to the version of you you’ve never met.
Whether it’s a career shift, a new relationship, starting a family, or deepening your spiritual walk, growth happens outside your comfort zone. Until you take that leap of faith, you’ll never know your full potential. Yes, it’s daunting, but staying stuck is far worse. Don’t let fear hold you back; instead, let it fuel your courage.

An eagle as a symbol of courage

As someone who is currently navigating this journey, I understand the struggle. But I want you to know that it’s worth it. So, take a deep breath, look in the mirror, and tell yourself, “I can do this.”
Surround yourself with people who believe in you, and most importantly, believe in yourself.
You’ve got this! I’m rooting for you!”

Fair Weather or Forever Friends: Conditional Love

You know how you always scroll and skip through terms and conditions when you first download an application? I think people approach fellow humans like applications. They download, see long terms and conditions, skip the details, click “agree,” and jump right into the goodies within. Then, they exit the moment they need to make payments or deposits, just when they should enjoy the premium package. Making deposits becomes the hard part because you now have to be super intentional about what you want out of that app.

Humans forget that beyond the aesthetics, sweet-smelling perfumes, golden smiles, and stunning outfits, there’s an ugly side to every person you find. So, you approach people thinking they’re flawless like angels. How do you forget they’re humans, too, and just like you, imperfect?
Relationships get better when you’ve weathered storms together. A friend who cannot stay through tough times is a fair-weather person, lacking in loyalty and commitment.

It becomes contradictory when people “agree” in the beginning, only to chicken out and show they never really signed up in the first place or exhibit their ignorance that relationships aren’t a walk in the park. They mask their fears with pragmatism or realism, fearing to stay the course — a fear birthed from lack of faith, perhaps, or an easily influenced or feeble mind.

Personally, I take my time when choosing people, I select those I’m willing to do life with. From the onset, I start out with plans to go the extra mile when the need arises — always! If I can’t stick by you, why then am I in your life? I intend to do long-term with everyone in my life, bearing in mind that if the earth quakes, I will stand with you. My approach might be flawed, and it may seem like I’m setting myself up for heart-wrenching times, but who does life without expecting tough times? When hard times show up, we need people who can hold our hands and say, “I’m willing to stay with you on this one” and mean it to their bones, not throw us under the bus when we need to prove the relationship means something.

Rigged current

Tides of life rise,
with aim to consume.

Stay afloat by ceaseless sculling—
and count self lucky—
from one day to the next.

Tides rise wildly
in the face of a leadership monopoly,
dark skies looming,
illuminated by bureaucratic lightning
and ominous claps of thunder—
a storm making violent the tide.

Swimming blindly,
no reset button in sight,
a cureless malady—
of corrupt statesmen—
with a Get Out of Jail Card-Free.

It’s about Monopoly with a Twist at dVerse!

Click and join in! 😉

#30daysrantchallenge

Sitting in front of her large PC monitor, she is bombarded with viral news—ranging from facts to the alleged. YouTube algorithms feed her digital broadcasts from the West, with content creators on both sides of the divide airing their views—Isaac and Ishmael; Donkey and Elephant; Bear and Trident. War, death, and oppression are the order of the day.

Her many clicks finally bring her home to reality—online echoes of weary youths raising their voices, expressing her homeland’s frustration with a political administration that cares little for its own. Leaders who line their pockets, fattened by greed, entangle themselves in meaningless scandals.

The viral online rant of a young citizen spreads like wildfire, igniting a movement— even the powers that be tried to silence it. The ongoing 30-Day Rant Challenge—watch, listen, and you will hear—there’s a lullaby for suffering.

Dear reader, 

My apologies in advance if my piece carries too much of a political undertone. Today, I am participating in the dVerse challenge -Prosery, Leonard Cohen- while also taking part in an online protest here at home. So please bear with me! 

Besides, you get to know a little about where I'm from... 😉

Happy reading! 😊

PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER!

Daily writing prompt

What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

View all responses

Works all the time! 🙂