IN THIS BUILDING; TWENTYTHREE ROOMS

 

"The third stair in the second floor of this building.." 

That's the illustration I used to announce my new age yesterday. I believe I am a building under construction in the hands of God the Constructor and so are you. So twenty three rooms here (like the rooms in an actual building) refers to some of the things that comprises my being. Some are my interests, likes, values and others my favorite things.  

Over the years, I've found it very hard to respond to "tell me about yourself" And no, it's not from a place of unawareness, more like confusion or so. This is because a lot of things come to mind AT ONCE and the struggle becomes what to say exactly...

So today, to make it easy for you, I decided to let you into the rooms of my heart. These are some of the things I hold dear..twenty three of them, because I just turned Twenty three.

Go on your bathroom break now, grab a drink and enjoy. Let's go...

✓I have an amazing relationship with God. 

I am a Christian and everything I do or not flows from this identity. I love my God and consistently, I pursue a deeper intimacy with Him. He's such a great Father and a close Friend. I also love serving in church anywhere I find myself.

✓I adore my family.

They are my number one prayer assignment right now. I am the first of five children. I have a sister and three brothers. I love them so much. 

✓I love my best friend.

 I'm sure you'll read this, so here's a lirru love letter kinda. Dear bestie, I especially love how patient and mature you are. How do you balance being strong, powerful and yet vulnerable without being weak? Comman teach a child of God abeg.

✓I'm blessed with great friends.

I have amazing friends and I am grateful for them. For the unique purpose they all serve in my life and vice versa. I believe in purposeful and intentional friendships. No matter your interest, path in life or vibe, you have your tribe. Be on the look out for them and invest in it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with initiating a friendship if you admire someone and desire to be friends with them. Not all friendships will take off by chance. Some, if not all require strategic pursuit and investment. Remember, he that must have friends must show himself friendly.. 

Side story: some years ago, a girl in my neighborhood approached me and asked to be my friend. I found it funny. Got home and gisted another friend about it and we laughed, we were like: "which kind of live friend request be that one, na Facebook?"

Today, when I recall it, I cringe at how shallow my understanding was. I know better now. Friends provide companionship and support. Go all out and enjoy the gift of men.

Two days ago, I had a huge concern about something and I was so bothered. Reached out to one of my friends and after a long conversation, I felt way better, plus had clarity on how to handle the issue. She even assured me that she'd be in faith with me...such relief! How exactly do you do life alone? 

✓I find the word of God very interesting.

The Bible is such a complete and perfect book. I love the word of God. The assurance from it. I am actively working towards being a cheerful doer of the word. I mean, the word corrects, informs, reproves, rebukes, inspires...what else could I possibly need?

Nothing has more authority than the word to me. If I see it in the Bible, that's all.

Recently I was in a conversation with someone and he pointed out to me that I had a few 'abandoned projects' I needed to tend to. I got defensive and rattled out my reasons. As God would have it, a few days later I began to study diligence on the YouVersion app and saw where God calls the habit of abandoning projects laziness or slothfulness. 

The slothful man does not catch his game or roast it once he kills it, but the diligent man gets precious possessions.

Proverbs 12:27 AMPC

'Roast' there simply means to execute till the end. I repented, read that scripture and others in many versions just so it seeps into my spirit. And thankfully now, when the temptation to be lazy shows up, that scripture jumps at me and I get to doing the needful. The word corrects.

✓I love teachers.

I know you saw this coming considering the last point. You got it right. I am an absolute lover of preachers, pastors, teachers and all that are indeed committed to the assignment of feeding us the word of God, especially in practical and applicable ways.

One of my hobbies is discovering teachers of the word. I really lack words to explain this, but the joy when I stumble on one of the ten thousand teachers is amazing. And I jump all in as the spirit leads me, 'cos I believe there's a teacher per season of life and we can't listen to all of them at once or every time.

Apart from preachers though, these teachers also span across various spheres. Just check. You'll find them as authors, writers, businessmen, everything you can think of. Once you can gain quality knowledge from them, best believe they are your teachers Apostle Paul said to look out for in 1 Cor. 4:15.

I'm usually on the lookout for them everywhere...podcasts, blogs, timelines, books, conferences, webinars, you name it. I'm that person that would attend a program, read a book, listen to a podcast etc and then embark on research about the speaker or author. I like to have a peek at the behind-the-scene of their lives. Cos that's where you learn about the process and not just the results. You'll frequently catch me watching/reading interviews, reality shows and conversations they have. The glory is in the story.

✓I can't cope without music.

When I had to be without a phone for a year, music was what I missed the most.

As I type this, I am listening to Most Beautiful by Maverick City Music..

Dearest Father,

Closest friend,

Most beautiful..

Those are my favorite lines I tell you. I can keep a song on repeat forever just to hear specific lines. As well as listen to the same song non-stop in loop for days and still enjoy it. This freaks out all my siblings but I care not.  

I believe that "When words fail, music speaks" . Many times my quiet time comprises just listening to songs and confessing them. Music is a big deal. I'd usually say if I ever lose my memory, just take a hold of my favorite playlist, play on repeat and be sure to see the end of the amnesia. No jokes.

✓I think books are really amazing. 

Growing up, my mum did her best to inculcate the reading culture in us. She'd buy so many books to encourage the habit. But I was more interested in other things other than reading then.

Sometimes, I  still find it hard to believe how I didn't read some of the books I read now, say at least 10 years ago..and it hurts. I really wish I got into the reading club at 10 or 12 years old. Not to say I never read o, but it wasn't a habit and so it was inconsistent and rare.

Today though, being in love with books, I try to make those close to me to not make the same mistake. No jokes...this is not to say I disturb them.. common, I know my boundaries and I respect myself so much. But, I still try to stir up the passion or fan the flame, depending on the person, my relationship with them and the leading of God of course. Books are so powerful mehn! Please read.

I've been hit with million dollar ideas from reading times without numbers.

I am usually intrigued by how my mind expands and stretches to accommodate new thought patterns after reading a great book.

Asides reading for pleasure, I am quite intentional about it. I have a book of books...where I write down salient points from every read, just because I'll definitely need reference as I apply/implement what I learn.

My spec would range from faith, personal development, leadership, relationship and romance etc. And some of my favorite authors include Karen Kingsbury and Francine Rivers for fiction; Joyce Meyer, Lisa Bevere and John C Maxwell for non fiction.

✓I enjoy writing.

First, it was a hobby. Like, as long as there was a beautiful jotter around, filling it with my thoughts would be the next thing. Then it became a necessity, an escape route, a way to clear my mind and document plans, record memories especially for the sake of having a track record. And now, an assignment. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. By the way, I still don't understand why I don't have a beautiful handwriting with how much I write.

✓I'm such a lover of aesthetics.

I love colours. With white as my favorite. I admire beautiful art works and drool over fine spaces. I think I can stay indoors for life if the house is beautiful enough and breathtaking.

✓I delight in cooking. 

For me, cooking is such an adventure. I hate having to eat the same meal over and over again. I love to explore and tweak the ingredients adventurously. I always come up with crazy substitutes for the usual ingredients and anticipate the outcome.

Disclaimer: sometimes, the meal doesn't turn out nice, but I am never discouraged. Like John C Maxwell said in his book; _Sometimes You Win and Sometimes You Learn._ So if I don't win, I at least learn how not to cook a dish.

✓Food is one of my love languages.

I love good food. Good food, spicy food, colorful food.

Another hobby of mine would be trying out new dishes and new eateries. I hear the meals in a 'Buka' are usually more delicious or so they believe. But I don't care...I just want to see beautiful colours in any space I settle to eat in. By the way, bread is one  food I can eat all day forever. Permit me to introduce Waffi; dem fit use bread sell me. Lol. One time, one of my brothers said bread is my 'mumu button' 🙄

✓I enjoy taking care of and watching babies. 

Babies have a soft spot in my heart,  no joke. One time I watched a documentary on how a couple of newborn babies reacted to their first bath. It was so beautiful and amazing, I found myself crying as I watched. Babies are so cute and lovely I could never get tired of watching them.

✓I can forget myself when teaching.

 I love teaching, especially the word of God. I can teach on anything around my interests forever and not feel the need to retire. I'm not a talkative but when it has to do with what tickles my fantasy, I could go on and on. Especially when in my comfort zone. I.e; around close friends and family. 

✓ I look forward to traveling round the world.

I see the world as a beautiful place and I anticipate travelling round, beginning from Dubai please. I'd love to visit the Dubai Spice Souk first of all and get a hold of all the spices I want. Then next would be the Gold Souk for some jewelry; rings and bracelets especially.

✓I have an obsession with corporate outfits.

For men and women. I love suits, blazers, tuxedos and all the accessories that go with them. You wanna get me to turn my head at your style? Put a suit on. 

✓It's safe to say I'm a queen of dates and numbers.

I'm very detailed and can remember the date of most events of my life. Whether important or not, the date just sticks. 

✓I love sleeping.

Are you surprised? Lol. I love sleeping. When I feel my stress level increasing, I schedule naps and stick to it religiously. Funny though, my dad mentioned today that I haven't been sleeping well... imagine. So it's about time to restructure my schedule.

✓I can be highly disciplined, committed and goal oriented.

I'm actually naturally laid back and would not stress myself unnecessarily. But when a purpose is to be achieved, I don't hesitate to step out of my shell and run till I obtain. 

✓Names are a big deal to me.

First, I absolutely detest my names being written or typed with the first letter in lowercase, and I call people out on that quickly. It irritates me.

Then I love giving names to stuff I own and Spanish names are my favorite. 

My phone, laptop, journal, books I have written and am writing and even this blog all have their different names. I tend to treat them like actual living things, and no I don't like pets. 

✓I'm big on order and organization.

I can't stand being disorganized or being in a disorganized environment. Neatness and quietness go with this too. I hate dirt and noise.

✓I love journals and journaling.

I hardly work without a plan.

Usually, I begin each day with a detailed plan on what's to be achieved and worked on. It gives me direction and eliminates distraction. Then I keep tabs on my progress by ticking or highlighting completed tasks. I like highlighters too, they beautify pages. 

✓I forget myself when talking to myself.

Many times I have conversations in my head that turn out to be me talking and making gesticulations even while in public. Before you talk of 'Yaba Left', I already learnt to not appear insane outdoors. So I always have my earphones plugged in, making people assume I'm talking on the phone or something.

Wow! This was both fun and stressful sha. My fingers hurt. But I enjoyed writing and hope you have fun reading.

Do any of them resonate with you? Let me know in the comments section…

Peace and Joy,

Nancita ✨