let it go

A Quiet Time For “MY HEART” – 3 Days to TWC’17.

/ Yinka (Anthonia) Gansallo-Lawrence / 21 Comments

heart 1

Have you ever felt like you were being swept away by the torrential floods of life? Challenges at work, relationship drama, family issues, failing expectations, a feeling of inner restlessness, doom and gloom?

Phone rings! Loud notification alerts from our various social networks! Doorbell chimes! Neighbor’s dog barking uncontrollably, kids yelling, crying or slamming the door! Co-workers absorbed in the moment and unknowingly loud with their body language! Unhealthy noises from inside our heads, you know, the one that constantly breeds anxiety and flashes a list of things we are yet to do or yet to accomplish… ‘in a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year..

Ah! don’t we all despise that thinking ground that builds restlessness and pushes us back to our edged-corners? I know I do!   

How many times have we rehearsed that perfect smile or posture, flashing only the part we want social media to see and validate? When was the last time 50 of those 1000 make-believe social media acquaintances actually connected with us one-on-one in our everyday circumstances?

Really, think about it…’deep in our hearts aren’t we just as lost as the next person reading, drooping or envying our well-packaged-showcase! If only…

How do we silence the chatterbox-world and hear from God? Does He really know our hearts? #DiscoverQuietTime@TWC’17

Oh no! This is certainly one of those days you just need communion more than ever! Just an encouraging word! A returned handshake from a stranger or a deep bear hug that soothes and set butterflies free inside us! We all need that communication both with God and men. God can quieten our spirit and refresh our soul even in the midst of a storm! We feel blessed for having good friends, mentors and colleagues to give us insight on that painful circumstance or a different perspective about our decision on life. We need it. #DiscoverHope@TWC’17

Because, yesterday I saw men as trees; huge and dominating my emotions! oppressing my job, toying with my passion, intimidating my ministry, billowing smoke into my future plans, putting a clog in the wheel of my progress…’now had become bags of stones tied to my ankles causing me to drown in an ocean of anxiety, confusion and negative thoughts, I saw myself sinking fast in this quagmire of negative feelings. #DiscoverHealing@TWC’17

I dropped to my knees and in my very sober voice, screamed from every cell in my being, “G-o-d  h-e-l-p  m-e!  ‘Have  mercy!  ‘Did He? ‘Does He know my heart?

O yes He did! yesterday, today and tomorrow as well! That is His strategy-communion:  Either through inspiring words of wisdom and management strategy from a dear friend, an edifying message from a sister, testimonies of God’s faithfulness and prayers from a spiritual mentor, joy and reassurance from the Holy Spirit,  insight from a book and positive messages on thriving on the job. #DiscoverTrueRelationship@TWC’17

12 hours later I wonder why it took so much to lift me out and cause me to soar on the winds of renewed hope, joy, optimism and vigor? I realize He made me multifaceted and so He ensured I had communion on every level in every way I needed to…’wow!

So as we count down to the remaining 3 days into TWC’17…’I am urging every woman to take a trip down memory lane of all the things still holding their hearts captive, to look into the face of the next woman you meet on the corridor of hope and flash that real authentic smile of freedom and togetherness! #DiscoverOpenDoors@TWC’17

Let’s do our hearts a favor by allowing it to examine the things that limit or forbid our communion with God. Let’s send our hearts a message…’that it is time to go on living in the fullness it was created for; to know and accept that we are not victims ANYMORE but victors in the risen Christ!

Tell your heart that it is okay to relinquish the rogue that’s been manipulating your quiet time with God, whispering false tales of desire into your ears…’Tell your heart it is time to uproot the hurts or stories or the baggage still tying you down! Whatever hindrances are lurking  in our hearts, it is time to start building up our real healthy-infectious-smile and assume clarity of vision!

I am hoping someone reading this will understand that even if he or she may hit rock bottom today, that it is okay to discover the need for a quiet time within their hearts, that no matter how far away we have been, that our emptiness will always drive us back to Him.  #DiscoverFulfiment@TWC’17

And as we Ponder, Prepare, Pack, Park and Parade the floors of Chubb Conference center for God’s visitation this week, with acceptance and assurance in our hearts, We pray “We will no longer see men as trees or the work place as a dark mine field or our past as a threat to our future! And we say thank you in advance for…’Communion!!

Yours in HOPE as we share Donnie McClurkin’s ‘I Need You’

Yinka & Enitan

TWC’17 Workshop Committee

Life’s issues exhausting? ’Time to fix our eyes on…

/ Yinka (Anthonia) Gansallo-Lawrence / 14 Comments

fixOur Emotions: Affection, Despair, Rage, Shame, Sentiment, Passion, Excitement, Pride, Remorse or Anger can be a great motivator in our lives and also a great enemy at other times.

According to Watchman Nee, author of Spiritual Discernment, “Emotions are the believer’s number one enemy – not the devil, but our emotions” That’s why we always need to have a sincere talk with our feelings and check-in with our mindset.

When we live our life emotionally exhausted, there’s no fun in it. Practically everyone I know growing up had dreams of great adventure, love-passionately, fun, family and friends, Right? If we take a look at our current lifestyle and consider how the reasons listed above has caused an emotional energy crisis in our life, then we can connect with the renewable resources that’s needed to fuel our emotional energy and plug up the leaks draining us. Certainly, we’ll feel better about ourselves, our relationships and our lifestyle.

About 23 years ago, I survived a horrific school riot. Myself and two other Polytechnic students managed to escape into a nearby bush and were rescued by an elderly villager who shielded us against the brutality of angry student-demonstrators and also harbored us from the more-angered mobile policemen arresting students on sight. We took solace alongside the villager’s jolly wife and their four children inside his un-completed 2-bedroom house, by the outskirt of Bori in Rivers State. No electricity or running water – we were so terrified and uncertain about our future and cried our hearts out every minute until we ran out of tears! But they treated us well, provided us food until the 2nd night when a vigilante team and police escort came by to rescue us and delivered us home safely.

That was one crazy –memorable period of my life. I was emotionally drained, demented and displaced! Myself and the other 2 students who escaped together, formed a special bond that’s made us best of friends since then. If a fly had mistakenly perched on my nose, I would ball into uncontrollable tears! literally! It was a messy emotional distraction! The effect/aftermath of the riot!

So, again I‘ve had to fight that forbearance battle! but this time around with my chin tilted up and the tears that came was to celebrate freedom of expression and not fear. My eyes were fixed on God’s purpose for me to learn from those challenging issues I couldn’t wish away, erase, rewind or wipe off with white out! But with grace, to press the play button and move forward instead.

Bouncing back, I realized that if we give God the reins of our heart, we’ll surely find stability. But then, we have to give Him all the reins or we’ll still be in danger of pulling in the wrong direction as we run our races. If we pick and choose which emotions we will submit to God and which ones we’ll allow free rein in our souls, we might still be unstable and wounded. We’ll end up holding on tight as the emotional roller coaster turns us upside down and leaves us spinning in circles.

Friendship breaks when it’s not nurtured, Family ties gets knotted when love is conditional, Marriages fail when we run out of the emotional energy to reach one more time across the divide of anger and silence. Dreams die when we kill the enthusiasm to hang in there and face all the obstacles that may come with it.

Today, I am encouraging someone reading this to Hit Rewind, Click Delete, and Stand Face To Face with whatever mistakes or heartbreak or emotional coaster they’re riding on. To be able to identify what made them feel emotionally exhausted and to say “NO MORE” to that which deplete them, so that they can create more space in their life for saying “OH YES” to that which fuels their spirit, soul and body. Here’s what I’d do differently… Focus on the play button and ‘Fix my eyes on God!

Yours in Hope as I share one of my favorite songs below.

Yinka 

 

‘A moment in the mind of a Child!

/ Yinka (Anthonia) Gansallo-Lawrence / 12 Comments

mind child 1The mind of a child is unparalleled. Their consciousness is animated yet exceptional, pure and unique. It consistently bursts and bubbles with imagination and fearlessness. They do not see boundaries, only possibilities. Have you ever tried to tickle, excite, amuse or enchant a child’s creativity? Aha! What you get in return is a whiz kid!

  • Sometime ago while visiting an aquatic fun center in Maryland with close friends and family, I couldn’t help but join in a serious conversation the children were having. Their ages ranging from ‘awesome 3 to intellectual 13. Whatever that topic was, it was definitely an eye opener. It changed my viewpoint about their mindset…
  • Far away in Disney Hollywood Studio, about 600+ children and parents waited patiently on a long line outside the FROZEN summer fun show theatre, intense heat on our backs, sweat pouring profusely, but who cares! The children’s enthusiasm on seeing the cast of Frozen melted the grinding heat and turned our expectancy into an excitement camping…
  • During a dance recital for the children, I couldn’t but help notice the uproar of excitement when the theme song was changed to Arianna Grande’s “One less problem”. Hmmm, my curiosity wasn’t let loose until I got the full story behind the young artist, from the mouth of the children…

Their aquatic conversation was, “What Would You Do, If Jesus walks into this room? It was an objective question, because they also offered 2 options (1) PRAY or (2) CELEBRATE. With affirmation and confidence the eldest uttered “Aunty, I will celebrate, and I have my reasons. He cleared his throat and started in a melodramatic gesture, “If Jesus walks into this room right now, I will jubilate, celebrate and will rejoice in His second coming! ‘Because, I have been praying all my life for his coming, and He’s here, not next door, not back door, not a street away – but here, He picked me! So, it’s party time to celebrate him” the younger ones around him all got excited too, agreed to his selection, decided on a large pizza and started jubilating in unison.

Oh Boy! Astonishment was an easy term to define my feelings. I was totally blown away (like you see in animated comedy where a certain bird sings so off-tune it pops or bursts), am smiling and grinning with such awe and a new level of respect for these young minds. Nice!

So, the group of devoted parents on that long Frozen line in Disney waiting for their turn to sing LET IT GO with their children, the new pop artist that’s finally ‘Gotten one less problem hit song booming away in their little minds and the “Celebrate-when-Jesus come kids’ idea is just a few of the soothing reassurance of devotion and sincerity in a child’s mindfulness that declares a state of active-open attentiveness. We tend to forget that a child will observe our thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. We as adults need to be mindful of how we appreciate or express life’s value in front of them – in everything we do and what we feed their minds with. So how do you go about instilling a growth mindset in a child? Unlike some adults, children are able to retain and analyze information and, more importantly, imagine concepts. Understanding their minds requires attention and interaction, but trust me, it’s worth it!

Every child wants to know about the simple things in life as well as the complex. Their ability to learn, think, meditate and ponder truly is a gift that God has given them; they have to be nurtured properly every time, not just when an occasion demands it. But E-V-E-R-Y-T-I-M-E!

Today, I am hopeful that someone will connect with a child one-on-one in terms of building a progressive mindset. To retrace steps back to when they were that age and compare the built-up of their own mindset over the years. ‘Ask a child: “I will like to know what you are thinking about” What you hear is the opposite of your own unsung melodies, of what should have been but never did. Tap into the mindset of a child. Stimulate it, bolster it with positive influence, between their aloofness, there’s a message for us. After all, I have learnt from them to (1) celebrate more (2) commit/dedicate more (3) discharge/let it go when necessary. And am still submerging in their young wealth of knowledge. Be a part of an active mindset of tomorrow’s eminence.

May God help us all.

Yinka.

 

 

The bargaining power of Control & Command! ‘At What Cost?

/ Yinka (Anthonia) Gansallo-Lawrence / 25 Comments

enduranceThere’s a task at hand. Your inner mind is the workshop. The tools needed for the job is priceless and never for sale at the local store, You have the map and detour rules stamped in your heart, because your talent is raw and in-built, accomplishing it is simply a piece of cake, why? Because it is your gifting, it is that wow factor that defines you! Not your juicy past or what people say or think about you, but God’s mark of un-common favor, uniqueness and exceptional beauty bestowed upon you. It is a glaring revelation! You have what it takes!

If you are thinking like me, I love good bargains. I love the feel and command of bargaining power either at the fabric aisle or beads aisle in NY. It’s an open market where everyone is allowed to boast and brag about their bargaining power. The best part of this bargain is that, you are allowed to walk away either way. With or without a smile, all depending on your bargaining power to control and command the cost of an item! Period!

So, for us folks in the pews “the reverse” is the case. What does it cost us to outdo each other? Have we ever taken a leap of faith to display our inner beauty? ‘Having the mindset of fulfilling God’s mission to empower and inspire those around us with our talent? ‘thinking like a servant rather than a leader? ‘Transparency in our “good deeds” without hidden agenda? Not looking at purchasing titles and cheap recognition because we crave it? ‘Diligently and humbly carrying those with burdensome insecurity through? Have you ever been in a situation where your God-given talent is considered a threat? Intimidation and competition setting in! ‘Do we bargain for competition instead of cooperation?

Competition is a way of life all over the world. It is has no place in the house of God. It is the fuel that keeps jealousy and hatred burning. It associates rivalry, contest and opposition. It connects striving for the same object against another person. Like-mindedness is union-based! —it is the attitude of cooperation we all need. Is that not the way a Christian should follow? ‘Not only is the act of competing wrong, but the actual attitude of competition and flexing of power is baffling. The attitude of competition is totally condemned by God.

‘Hoping someone will cultivate the attitude of humility and cooperation, to stop trying to win people over by putting others down with their sweet coated holier-than-thou attitude speech, thus proving superiority over them. Will it produce mediocrity? I doubt it! In actual fact, it leads to achieving excellence, and helping others to do so as well. But what do I know about attitude bargaining? I am just an ordinary expressionist moving forward in life!

May God Help Us All!

Yinka

http://www.yinkalawrence.com