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Yearly Archives

2017

Uncategorized,

Happy 100th Post!!!


I published the 100thpost on The over Thinker a few weeks ago, I had something planned to celebrate this milestone in my blogging/writing journey, but what I had planned didn’t feel right. So I skipped it.
In place of what I had planned I will be appreciating those that have contributed to the blog over the past three years, those who have encouraged me, helped me edit and create content.
So shout out to Mr, Johnson, thank you first for being my friend, for reading my poorly written initial drafts for many of the post on the blog, for assisting in fine-tuning my ideas and ensuring I stay true to the vision of the blog. Happy 100th Post.
Thank you to Pelumi Kayode for editing posts and ensuring the world isn’t subjected to my poorly punctuated write ups. Michael for taking photos, designing posters and giving me my first lessons in Canva.
Thank you to Oni for always reading the blog, to Gbemi for believing in me long before I had the courage to share my work with the world. To Derin and Zainab for the constructive criticism; this has helped me find my voice as a writer and to stay true to who I am when I write. To Tobi for your comments on the blog.
Thank you to everyone that contributed to the series on this blog, Ore is always grateful. 
Finally, thank you to all my readers, to everyone who shared and recommended the blog, this wouldn’t be possible without you.
Here’s to a 100 more posts. 
25,

Mid-Year Review: Lessons From 2017 so far…



We all know how I love making lists and sharing them, so this is list of what I have learnt in 2017. I really hope you find something you can relate with. Let’s do this review together, let me know in the comments below what your lessons from 2017 are.

1. Try things you are 100% sure you will not love; it just might turn out fear of the unknown led to your dislike of those things.
2.   Visit your friends; make out time, no matter how busy your schedule is, to build your relationships with the people in your life.
3.   Find a fellowship that is a group to study the bible with, share life experiences and pray, this will lead to you not feeling alone in your daily struggles.
4.   Go on a date with yourself, you deserve to be celebrated.
5.   Remember to buy your parents a gift; I am sure they will appreciate it
6.   Buy books for your friend’s babies; this will solidify your role as the bookish aunty or uncle plus it is never too early to start reading.
7.   Visit Café Neo and order a Pennine.
8.   Make out time to study the bible and pray, you will get lost if you don’t.
9.   Don’t waste your time daydreaming, get up and do the work.
10. Have witty answers at the ready for those who dare to ask why you are single.
11. Don’t over plan and try to micro manage your life, leave room for the unexpected they are the most amazing experiences.
12. Have honest conversations, if a good friend asks ‘’Are you fine?’’ don’t be sacred to answer ‘’No’’, if you are not fine.
13. Be deliberate about decisions that make you happy, if not you may end up overwhelmed and resentful.
14. Make life and lifestyle choices that are true to who you are, people will always question your choices, know you don’t have to defend yourself.
15. Be thankful for everything, the good, the better and the things that keeps you up at night.
Playlist,

Hear No Evil Speak No Evil Week Six (About Make Music Lagos) By RepJ 360

Make Music Lagos was essentially Lagos’ celebration of World Music Day, like Make Music New York. It happened on the 21st of June and will happen again next year (if you missed it), God willing. It was a very enjoyable event. Quick side note, this year the organizers were able to pull off 12 small concerts simultaneously at 12 different locations whilst also setting up for a grand finale, among other kinds of events. The smaller concerts had a plethora of varied acts, which my band was part of. It is this smaller events I am referring to.
It was an entirely enjoyable event, like I said, especially when you consider the scale and the fact that it was free.
As we prepared to take the stage, several other acts presided us, all of whom were Christian acts. I am for affirming your beliefs and using opportunities to evangelize, I mean my band name is RepJ360 (the ‘J’ standing for Jesus) so it is clear that I am unashamed of my faith and wear it boldly. So, imagine my shock, surprise and distress and when I found myself being ashamed and uneasy when the first act came out singing well known Christian songs sung during most Praise Worship sessions in churches. I began to ask myself, “abi, you’re a hypocrite ni, saying you’re unashamed and now that you’re in a public place and a brethren is flying the faith flag high you feel like digging ground”. Several questions continued to flood my mind and each one more distressing than the last as they continued to push me towards the realization of my hypocrisy. But I refused to accept that I truly was, so I began asking my friends around me, perhaps they could shed some light on it for me or if I was the only one feeling that way. It turned out that I wasn’t the only one that felt uneasy about the fact that act after act was doing different praise worship songs at an event that was tagged “non-religious”, but it seemed I was the only one that seemed distressed about my apparent hypocrisy. Some of my friends (who are devout Christians) were of the opinion that it was inappropriate because it would make people who are not of faith uncomfortable and uneasy. Which is weird because it seemed to be having that effect on the people of faith – something to think about. And several other people had several other opinions on the matter, all to show that praise worship music was not right at this particular event. 
I was still very unsure about my position, all I knew was that I felt uneasy and I didn’t like that, so I continued to question myself as to why. My answer came in the person of a solo artiste who played the keyboard and sang. As he performed I was enamored by the joy that overshadowed the tiredness on his face (we would learn that he had come directly from his day job) and more profound was the lack of uneasiness I felt, as he was clearly singing about his love for God and other Christian themed lyrics and he was doing a wonderful job. I could feel the attention in the room being focused on him and his lyrics. I could feel the atmosphere shift to less chaotic and more harmonious, as if for the few minutes he sang, everybody agreed. And I got my answer, the uneasiness I felt was indeed shame, but not shame of Christ or my faith but shame for being associated with the acts that had come and done their church praise worship set lists without any real heartfelt content. I felt shame because the music that was being produced was the reason why Christian music was often thought of as being mediocre. Because what they had done was produce the same routine in the same repetitive manner that was characterized by a typical Sunday service where the leaders are led by compulsion to stand in front of the congregation, and not by genuine joy or a yearning. Indeed, this is the way I see things, music is a very powerful tool. Churches have grown to prominence because of the impact their choir had (and have) on the world. Music in the right hands can be an instrument to make people who have never met each other agree without saying a word to each other, or it could be used as an instrument to sow strife. I guess my point is to Christians or Christian musicians, you are creatives which by definition means routine is against your nature so be led and stay away from the box. 
What are your thoughts or questions, drop them in the comments below. This is not an argument, it’s a conversation, act on love.
All playlists are available on Deezer, just search “tobyvanjohnson” and you’ll find them under his playlists. Don’t forget to share with your friends and especially your enemies.

Follow us on Social Media for the daily update @RepJ360 (on everythiing).
Playlist,

Hear No Evil – Speak No Evil – Week Five by RepJ360

The notion of love is one that has been clouded by many ideas for a very long time. Chief of which is the “ride into the sunset” idea of love – at the end of the movie the man and the woman ride into a picturesque sunset which insinuates happiness, peace, prosperity and all the other good kinds of things. Sadly, when we get that moment in the sunset in real life (if we get it), the sun will rise again the next day and there would countless more sunrises after that. We are not equipped to handle what comes next, because in our heads the movie should have ended. So when things start getting hard and less picturesque we automatically start to think some is wrong and therefore we need to perhaps end it. But know this; Love is not always “lovey-dovey”, love is not always sweet words and grand gestures. It is a battle that we wage, it is a decision that we make, it is an action that we take or an action we choose not to take. The world would continue to sell the idea of easy love which is momentary, but God is calling us into an eternal love, a peace that is inexplicable, and it is worth the fight. Just set your hearts on love and love will show up.

This Week: 
Take Over Me, because I know Love Alone Is Worth The Fight.
You Are the only one that can make it worth it.
I will Be Still as I wait for More Of You so I can Touch The Sky. Thank you for your Ancient Words.

This week’s playlist is available on the Deezer music streaming app: http://www.deezer.com/playlist/3228743882 
All playlists are available on Deezer, just search “tobyvanjohnson” and you’ll find them under his playlists. Don’t forget to share with your friends and especially your enemies.
Follow us on Social Media for the daily update @RepJ360 (on everythiing).
Devotional Playlist is a daily devotional were we, RepJ360, recommend a song that has touched our hearts, taught us something or reminded us about something. We believe one of these songs a day would keep the flesh at bay so give them a listen. At the end of seven days we compile them into a playlist for the week. So as not to infringe on the property of the musicians and minsters that made the songs we cannot share them with you, instead we create playlists on the music streaming platform Deezer. We hope you enjoy the songs as much as we have and we hope even more that they light up your day so you can light up some else’s.  – We, RepJ360.

25, letters,

Letters To My Husband – Lists And Expectations

Dear Husband,
A few months ago, I tore up the list I made for you; the list included all the thing I hoped you would be, it was a huge relief for me because then I don’t have to feel like I was settling whenever I liked someone that didn’t check every box of my well thought out list.
I replaced my list of more than 20 items with just two items I think are of utmost importance, I will be sharing those two things with you but first,a few things I have learnt.
One, God is preparing me for you and our children, with the lessons learnt in the most unusual ways, I am not great at asking for help when it comes to house chores, I have a system and I don’t like when it is altered,  a few weeks ago I felt the unusual desire to ask for help when I was working in the house, I learnt that my system may not always be the best approach and working with another person cuts my work in half, this is making me more open to others suggestions and less stuck up in my ways. I believe this is a vital tool that will keep me from feeling overwhelmed in our marriage.
I am seasonal cook, this means that I don’t enjoy cooking day to day, I love cooking only when I feel like, but I am learning to enjoy it on days when I don’t want to cook, learning to find joy in the process of preparing a meal, I am yet to fall in love with the process, I still had bananas and mangoes for dinner last night, but I believe in the not so distant future I will have a workable relationship with cooking, you should bear in mind that there are days when you will have to make meals.  
What made tearing up my list easier was the realisation, that God is teaching me how to be a wife and  that you are also receiving your own lessons because this isn’t a one way traffic. This was a calm reassurance that God has my back regardless of all the uncertainty that lead to me making the list.
So back to the two things that are currently on my list. Firstly that you are willing to grow in God with me, there is so much of God to be explored, so much to learn, unlearn and build from. It is really important for me that you desire to do this, so on days when I am not thirsty enough you will remind me to thirst and I will also do the same for you.
Secondly that we help each other with the things God calls us to do, the things we need to do together and those we need to do individually. That we make each other’s ‘’purpose walk’’ easier, that neither of us becomes a hindrance to the other.
I believe when we make God our focus, all the items on our individually made up list, (I know you have your own list) will fall into place, you should know that I am going to make you read poetry to me and if you can play the guitar it wouldn’t hurt.  I am looking forward to meeting you, but not before the time is right