#Breaking up with Barbie

Last week,i got a call from Sophie. She said we needed to see and catch up on old times. I was delighted to hear from her. Who is Sophie? Ermh well, Sophie is not her actual name..its Sophia..but i call her that. Sophie..short for sophisticated..it was a private joke between us. You see, we had been quite close during our university days..Yea..but we never made it past that level of relationship. The friendzone is real,my friend..lol. Anyway,when Sophie told me she was in town and would like us to rendevous,i was intrigued..it sure would be nice to see Sophisticated Sophie again.

So we met at an Ice Cream joint along Ikeja,GRA,Lagos. Chocolate was one of her pet indulgencies..Oh she also had a thing for fashion,high society, movie stars and barbie dolls..she was that kinda broad. Seeing her,i tried hard to conceal my surprise..Sophie had aged..considerably..
Time hadnt been particularly kind. She was pushing 30 but looked 45 already..
 "You look great,Sophie" I lied as we embraced.
"Yeah right" She scoffed in reply "I heard you are married now?"
"Yes i am" I replied, waving my wedding ring
"I wish i was too" She sighed
Then she launched into a tirade about her love life..The failed relationships and ungrateful lovers. As she ranted,my mind wandered..back to when we first met..

It was during our 100 level registration on campus. We were Jambites..fresh off the secondary school boat..trying to act all savvy and unintimidated by our surroundings. We had been on the registration queue for quite some time patiently waiting our turn as the sun burned our temples and heated our tempers.Then this girl in skirts and high boots looking like she just escaped from a high school musical waltzed in and made straight for the front of the queue.Trust students na..she was bounced back with boos and jeers as she beat a hasty retreat.She obviously wasnt used to that kind of treatment. Her wounded pride wouldn't let her join the tail of the queue and so there she stood..some metres away..lips trembling,clutching a huge barbie doll and looking like a lost little girl..*sigh*..boomsha to the rescue..lol.Guess,ive always been a sucker for damsels in distress. I beckoned to her and made room in front of me inspite of protests from behind. She gratefully slipped into place and murmured a hurried thanks. We struck up a conversation and so our friendship began..

Now here we were..many years later..some things had changed..some obviously hadnt..you see,Sophie had always had a crush on one movie star or the other while we were in school. She never had time for any of her toasters on campus.She was way out of their league. She would tell me about the latest celebrity wedding and how she got a follow back from Usher on twitter. She had always lived her life on television and held on to her childhood fantasies. In the mean time,real life possibilities slipped through her choosy fingers. She liked to be waited upon like a princess and only dated men who fitted in her dream world but they never stayed around long enough .Sophie no longer carried a barbie doll around but she still hadnt let go of other things..

As we parted ways that evening, she made me promise to do her a little favour..so here goes..This one is for sophie..

ADERTISEMENT:
Self-Employed Single Mother in her late 20's
seeks a serious relationship with
A tall,dark and handsome male
Must be very rich and famous
Preferrably a movie star
Helps with the dishes and writes romantic poetry
Pls email: boomsha@gmail.com

Sophie's waiting
#Boomsha 

#Breaking Up With Teddy

"When i was a child, i spoke and thought like a child, i reasoned like a child. But when i grew up, i put away childish things"

                        1 Corinthians 13:11

Just the other day,i had the doubtful privilege of hitching a ride on a 'molue' bus in lagos..no thanks,to the artificial fuel scarcity. Having spent several hours at the bus stop with no taxi in sight, myself and other stranded commuters gladly welcomed the arrival of this mechanical good samaritan belching noxious fumes and carbon monoxide. Nobody protested as the driver calmly told us the fare was three times the normal fee as we huddled in his jalopy and prayed we got to our destination safely before his machine fell apart.

However,as the conductor made the rounds and collected the fare,it wasnt just his unruly conduct that drew my attention, it was his age. He looked really old..im talking late 50's! Yeah..Dude was really old! I gaped in surprise for a spell before i caught myself and quickly looked away. Many questions flashed across my mind. What in the world had kept him in a job like this all these years? Why was he still trapped in a job he had probably started as a teenager? What had happened or not happened to him? What was his story?

Then I heard screams from the back of the bus..Oh dear, the same conductor was in a scuffle wt a passenger. I could hear him cursing out the younger man as they heaved and tossed each other from one end of the bus to the other. We quickly intervened and separated the combatants more out of fear of the fight causing our bus to have an accident than out of concern for the bus conductor who was obviously taking a pounding. However,all through the journey we had to endure the rantings of the embittered conductor. He made sure he heaped abuses on the young man as well as on any other person who dared to voice an opinion. He used every curse word in the book as well as others not in the book. He sure had a lot of work experience in that department..lol

Then it dawned on me..Finally, i realized

the answer to the questions i had been pondering. This was it..The conductor hadnt broken up with Teddy! Who in the world is Teddy? In the ordinary sense, Teddy refers to the toys of our childhood. All the kiddie stuff we grew up and left behind. However, in a deeper sense, Teddy symbolizes the childish and immature mindset we once possessed and which we used to see our world. However, as we progress in life, we unlearn that which we had perceived as truth and learn that which ought to be our current understanding of the world and how it actually works. You see..that was the real issue. The conductor had aged but had not matured. He had increased in height and stature but never really grown. He had refused to break up with Teddy.

How about you, my friend? Are you really growing or just adding weight? Are you really learning or just acquiring knowledge? Have you really broken up with Teddy? We will talk about this some more next week..See ya

#Boomsha






P.S
To read previous articles in the #Boomsha series by Rapsodee,
Pls visit his blog: www.boomsha.blogspot.com

#Devil In Your Mirror

The greatest enemy of man is not Lucifer..Nah..He has no such claim to greatness regardless of how many fingers we point in his direction. He only takes the second place position. Man has a greater enemy..more dangerous..and infinitely more destructive. Even more alarming is the fact that this enemy lives in our homes,eats our food and spends our money..it sure gives a new definition to the phrase "Sleeping with the money"

So who is this enemy that has crept up into our beds unawares and is killing us softly underneath the sheets? Well,this enemy is not hard to find..Just get yourself a mirror and look into it..see..that's the enemy right there staring back at you..that's the one you should watch..that's your real enemy. This enemy is a sum total of your negative emotions, weaknesses and self-limiting beliefs.This is the enemy you should wage war against for the rest of your life..cos,trust me..This enemy is not dying until you do.

Sadly, religion has taught people to swing the searchlight away from ourselves and blame our troubles on other people or Supernatural forces. It is easier to believe that your husband 's secretary is responsible for the failure of your marriage instead of your constant nagging.The reason your business is failing is because your village witches are on your case and not because you treat customers with disrespect and deliver shoddy jobs..Nope! Its the devil! So we attend prayer meetings and pray death on our enemies while the real devil watches Africa Magic in our living rooms.

However,more than generational curses, we ought to pray against generational mindsets. We must wage war against the limiting beliefs that have been passed down from parents to children. Beliefs like "Life is hard", "You cant get a good job without connections", "some things are only meant for the rich not people like us"..Im talking about inferiority complexes we have acquired from childhood reinforced by the environment we grew up in that have stopped us from dreaming big and made us settle for the status quo. Our education is wasted if it has not changed the way we perceive our future and God's Word is made of no effect when we do not dare to reach for heigher heights.

The devil is in your mirror, my friend. Love youself but work on your weaknesses. Accept yourself but not your limitations. Discover God and you find your true essence. Remember,Lucifer is not your problem..the real devil is right in front of your mirror. Fight the good fight of Faith..Fight to win..How do you fight to win? Rest on the finished works of Christ..Accept Jesus as Lord over your life and allow Him fight for you..The rest na champion tinz..

#Boomsha

#Scratching The Surface

A Psychologist has been described as an adult who insists on asking childish questions..lol. Well,have we ever wondered if children see us differently too? We are not always the all-wise, all-knowing  role models we think they see us as, u know.. Actually, sometimes we strike them as clueless, insincere and downright contradictory..They shake their heads in wonder at our hypocrisy as we say one thing and do another. Saying we are a confused bunch of grown-ups is barely #scratching the surface..

How do we explain to them that homosexuality is wrong when they see people of the same sex kissing on TV on a regular basis? How does Brother Paul explain to his kids that it was wrong for Korede Bello to have performed "Godwin" in church when it was the same song playing on his car stereo when dropping off the kids to school? Or even more alarming is the issue of Elder Tunji's teenage son, Bobby who has been warned by his father repeatedly to stop reciting the lyrics to Olamide's "Story for the gods"  but attends Pastor Emeka's wedding and finds the whole church dancing to the same song? Just telling young people something is wrong is not enough. We are just #Scratching the surface.

Actually, limiting these issues to entertainment is also merely #Scratching the surface. Its much bigger than that. How do u tell your children not to discriminate against people of different backgrounds when they know the only reason you voted for GEJ was because he is a christian? .. Nothing more. Sister Agnes is having a hard time explaining to her daughter that it was scripturally wrong for Deaconess Chigozie to refuse her son marrying a hausa girl who attends their church but its okay for the church authorities to refuse  marrying their church members to other christians who dont belong to their denomination.. *sigh*

Our world today is so complicated. Nothing is in black and white anymore and our shades of grey are well over 50 (pardon the pun). Even Christiandom is divided along so many ideological and theological lines, the average young Christian is caught in an Identity Crisis. Now more than ever, we must know the TRUTH for ourselves and hold on to our convictions. We must study to show ourselves approved, workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly diving the Word of TRUTH. It is the TRUTH you know that makes you free. Everything else is just #Scratching The Surface

Have i helped to resolve any of the issues i raised? Probably not.. I hve most likely just #scratched the surface. So how do u know the TRUTH? Jesus says "I AM the way, the TRUTH, the life.." Get to know Him more today than you did yesterday ..keep digging..

#Boomsha 

#Identity Crisis

In the box office hit movie "The Equalizer" we are made to know that the two most important dates in a man's life are; 1) The day he is born, and 2) the day he finds out why. Discovering the answer to life's questions has always been the deepest need of man.. More powerful than his need for self-preservation. See that's why curiosity killed the cat! Lol.. Now where am i going with this?

Well, since the inception of the #Boomsha series, i hve been deluged with a flood of conflicting opinions and views on the various subjects i have written on. At first, i was bewildered by the apparent disunity amongst the christian community as to its position on certain issues until it dawned on me;the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. This whole controversy is only a reflection of an inner conflict, an inner struggle in the minds of many young christians: an identity crisis!

The truth is, until we come to definite understanding of who we are as individual christians and as to what specific purpose God has called us to, we will remain stuck in an identity crisis. We will remain in a state of uncertainty as to whether to be this or that, secular or gospel? Artiste or minister? We will keep having pastors who would have impacted the world better as politicians.. Wack artistes who should have kept their day jobs and remain great music fans.. Bankers who would have made fantastic businessmen.. Now lets bring it closer home.. We would keep having great solo artistes who are still trapped in the church choir and music ministers who would have fared better on secular platforms.. Yea.. I said it

When a christian artiste chooses to take his music out of the confines of conventional worship and express his artistry using less religious channels, his decision is usually viewed with distrust and resentment by the christian community.. Why? The church has trust issues! And rightly so.. Bearing in mind the rampant cases of betrayal of trust by christian artistes who crossed-over and ended up blending with the crowd. The church has a bagfull of sad stories of such promising talent who got on secular platforms and ended up promoting the same vices they were taught to shun in sunday school. Of course the church has trust issues.. Wouldnt you?

However, do we throw out the baby with the bathwater? Arent there christian artistes who genuinely craft music without religious overtones and bless the world with their gift outside the confines of the church. I believe there are! These unique bunch of people dont fit into your regular church setting.. They dont sing songs for the average church-goer. Their songs are not well-received in religious circles but they do have a growing followership outside the church. They are not the type you invite to minister at your annual convention or church harvest.. Ironically tho..Their uniqueness doesnt get them much love on the other side.. The world senses something different about them and abhors their nonconformity with popular thinking.. Their songs preach without preaching.. They are not entertaining enough..They are not at home there either.. So they remain stuck between a rock and a hard place.. Between a church with trust-issues and a world with God-issues. Theirs is a thankless job..

Sadly, some of them buckle under the pressure and choose to blend in with the crowd thereby adding more fuel to the controversy..some others scamper back to the safety of the church with their tails tucked between trembling limbs..only a handleful remain to slog it out in this jungle called the music industry.. You will find them on secular platforms; Reality TV shows, Nite clubs and other music events. They are outsiders.. outliers..They are one of your own.. Fighting behind enemy lines..Its a tight-rope they walk on.. A long hard road with more discouragement from friends than enemies..

Sometimes they just want to come home to their Father's house and rest their weary feet by  the fire.. Just for a spell.. But when they do.. will you be waiting with open arms? .. or a stone? .. for one of your own.

 #Boomsha

#‎Storms‬ In A Tea Cup

Ive got to be honest with you guys..i was taken by surprise at the public response to my previous write-up "‪#‎prodigal‬ sons" . Actually when i started the ‪#‎boomsha‬ series, my aim was to share some of my musings with friends on social media not spark up heated debate and controversy. However, judging by the number of likes,shares and comments on social networks as well as publications of my article on blogs, i realized i must have really touched on some 'sensitive' spots..
Oh well.. Controversy sells, my friends..it sells faster than cheap snacks in lagos traffic. I would rather avoid it though..but hey..here we go again. I would like to touch on another topic that has been the bone of contention among young christians on social media..i pray i dont lose some teeth..lol..lets get into it..
The question is whether a christian can choose to be a 'secular' artiste just like taking up any other job and whether a christian who chooses to go the 'gospel' route is allowed to sing 'secular' songs on the side? Well, i do not intend to tout myself as an authority in such matters. I only seek to shed some more light on the vexed issue and help us see things from a different perspective.
A good start would be to define the terms "gospel" and "secular". The word gospel is derived from the old English word 'god-spell' meaning "good news" or "glad tidings". What glad tidings? That of salvation for mankind through the life, death and ressurrection of Jesus Christ. It also refers to the message of Grace as revealed through the scriptures. (Source: Wikipedia)
How about the word 'secular'? It refers to the state of being separate from religion or not being exclusively allied with any faith.(Source: Wikipedia)
In contextualizing these definitions,i perceive a gospel artiste to be one who actively promotes the teachings of Jesus and the message of Grace through his music while a secular artiste is one who chooses to separate his music from his faith or does not wish his music to be exclusively allied with any faith for professional reasons. Both are artistes but with different mindsets..both standpoints have their pros and cons..To each his own.
Now back to the issues raised..can a christian choose to be a "secular artiste' i.e choose not to have his music exclusively identified with the Christian faith? Yes he can..Afterall, music can be strictly a career choice..Will he go to hell for that? Nope..He is still a child of God! but would he truly be fulfilling the great commission by choosing to use such a powerful source of influence for strictly 'professional' reasons? Would he have to account before the Giver of the gift as to how he used it? I would leave that for you to answer.
On to the next one, can a gospel artiste sing secular songs on the side? Well..going by our definition of what is secular,i perceive a secular song would be one which does not in anyway point to the person of Christ or promote the values of God's Kingdom in anyway..Well, in that case, the notion of a gospel artiste singing a secular song would be downright ridiculous!..dat would be going against the very foundation of his calling.
However, we must note that christianity is not a religion, its a way of life. Christ was not religious but He was spiritual. A song is not secular because it has no obvious reference to God or the Christian faith..Also, a song is not gospel just because it has an obvious mention of God in it! Lets get our definitions right!
Having done so we ought to also embrace the practical realities of what the christian way of life entails and reflect that in the music. Christianity should teach the world how to live in every respect; how to love God, how to love people, how to dress, how to party, how to do politics..how to do everything! So if we narrow gospel music to "church" music, we are barely scratching the surface.
So what is the conclusion of the matter? Should i be a secular or gospel artiste? Should i sing or not sing a secular song? Well..dats for you to decide, my friend. However, in the words of Jesus Christ himself in the book of Luke 18 : 29, He said and i quote" ..I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come". Did that help?..lol..See ya next week!
#Boomsha

#‎Prodigal‬ Sons

Do u remember dat slim guy who plays d keyboard every sunday and midweek service in church? Well..he's gone secular. I saw him singing in a music video recently surrounded by some half-naked chicks.. Yep.. He's really done it this time! How about that choir girl? The one with the piercing soprano voice.. Yea.. She sef don switch sides..My homie was at her album listening party at Quilox the other day..She just signed with a big label..yea.. Her songs,man...smh..na jaiye jaiye tinz o..lol.. Sounds familiar? Doesnt it?.. Word gets around real fast.. Then the akward question: why did they go 'secular'?

Some blame the Church..They dont support artistes! They only care about church activities and increasing their member base.. They dont encourage talent..They dont pay musicians well.. Bla bla bla
Others blame the artiste.. They were not genuine believers in the first place.. They love the pleasures of the world too much..They sold their soul to the devil.. They were not patient enough.. Yada yada yada..
But every side has a story.. Do u know what it takes to run a church? Most churches run by faith..The bigger the church the bigger the bills..and of course every church has its primary goals and objectives which determines its priority list in allocating resources..
As for the artiste..Have u tried on their shoes? Seen how they fit? U have a secular job or business you are involved in during the week..Music is all they have ever done for a living... Do u know what it takes to be that musician who is always in church on sundays and weekdays blessing you with his or her talent for free while struggling with financial burdens and unrealized dreams. You probably just give em a pat on the back after service and say 'wow, i was blessed' then u walk away and return to your profitable job.
Next time u feel like pointing accusing fingers.. Ask what you as a person have done for the gospel music industry? Before u throw stones at the prodigal son, ask yourself who was more prodigal; the younger brother who went 'secular' or the older brother who stayed in the church but did nothing for the industry.
We need more christian businessmen who will invest in our young people. We dont need your handouts.. You are not doing us a favour. We guarantee your money back with interest! We need more christian labels.. More managers.. More talent scouts.. More everything. Dont just sit there and point fingers.. Do something!
‪#‎Boomsha‬

#‎Blurred‬ Lines

I had an interesting conversation with a friend yesterday and it made me realize how blurred the lines between our convictions and public opinion have become.
Im pretty sure if i were to ask if we approved of the homosexual scenes in the TV Series "Empire" i wud most likely get a firm collective response..but i might start some real trouble if i expected a similar response to the "Korede Bello" controversy.. The lines there are not so clear.. Or are they?

Well.. Dats the world we live in currently.. and live in it we must. But then again.. It is imperative that we ask ourselves if we still possess any core values? ..Values that wont change regardless of whatever crazy direction society goes? ..
No matter how many "shades of grey" we create.. Light will always be light and darkness darkness.. God's word is light.. and it wont change wt the times.. Not anytime soon..Stay in the light..
‪#‎Boomsha‬