And All Other Things

I discovered the Mars Hill Church iPhone app through this beautiful lady’s tweet. I downloaded it and so far love it. I had heard of the church before, but this was the first time I got to hear the teaching/preaching.

I started with the series on Luke, entitled “Luke’s Gospel: Investigating the Man Who Is God.” I loved, loved, LOVED the first episode, but at the end of it, I just so happened to scroll down and saw a series called, “Redeeming Ruth.” Of course, I then started listening to that one, me being Ruth and all (don’t worry, I’ll will definitely go back to the Luke series and you should too).

One part that struck me in the episode was the descriptions of Ruth and Orpah, Naomi’s daughters in law. Both were ready to leave their native Moab and travel back to Bethleham with Naomi. Leaving their families and all that was familiar to them. But after just a little bit of prodding, one decided to turn back and return to her homeland. Orpah.

One cannot really blame her. Although she married a Jewish man, she was living in her hometown, where she felt safe and secure. Essentially, where everybody knew her name. She probably proclaimed her love for God with her lips, but at the first sign of “freedom” she took it, abandoning Him and her new family and fleeing back home to she what she knew. Fleeing back to her gods. She was a pagan pretending to be a Christian (well, before Christ), but abandoning Him when things got difficult.

I don’t judge. Is it not easier to remain where you are comfortable than to step into discomfort? Or what is known as earthly discomfort? What she did is what most of us would do. Right? She is only human.

And then there was Ruth. She obviously took her vow to God very seriously. She abandoned all that was familiar to her, to accompany her mother in law – not her birth mother, but her mother by marriage – to her hometown. She would know nobody. She would be alone with this older woman with no other people to call friends. And if that wasn’t enough, she vowed to Naomi, that she would take her people as her own and take her God as her own. That is amazing. Unlike Abraham, God never spoke directly to Ruth (thanks Pastor Mark) so she was ready to accept God by pure faith. Which one of us can say that we would do that?

The bible says that we are to drop everything and follow Jesus. But how many times do we make excuses for not following Him wholeheartedly? Without reservation. It’s our human nature.

And I know I will stumble. Many more times in my life. But God is there to help me stand and the Bible is there to support my walk.

I strive to be more like Ruth.

In more than name.

I’m not going to lie. It’s gonna be tough.

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you

or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go,

and where you stay I will stay. Your people

will be my people and your God my God.

ruth 1:16

You know the drill. Especially in the movies. Someone wants something. Or wants to know something. And they will ask God to give them a sign. A sign that they are doing the right thing, making the right decision, or even a sign that He, God, exists.

I am getting baptized this Sunday (January 24). People are quite surprised that I have not been baptized yet. I have no real good excuse, but the one thing that stopped me in my teen years, especially, was the feeling that I had to be perfect before I did it. And I know (and knew) that perfection is not possible and only Jesus is perfect. But my human brain cringed at the thought of being baptized and then disappointing people and God when I did something wrong. I grew out of that phase though. God says come as you are… well not in those exact words, but He did say that He came for the sick and the sinners; not the heathly and the righteous. He told Levi/Matthew, the tax collect to follow Him. He didn’t say, “Yeah, I want you to follow me. But please get better before you do.” And I am grateful for that. That God accepts me as I am because God knows that I am…imperfect.

I have been a Christian my whole life, but my faith is not always the strongest. I would be lying if I said it was. But, I can say that it is hard for me to deny God if only for the signs He has shown me in my lifetime. Many times, and one time very recently, I have been discussing with a friend and he or she will ask me about my faith. They ask me how I know that Jesus exists. How can I be certain? I say because He has made it very hard for me not to see Him. He’s kinda like a kid, sitting behind you kicking your chair. If you don’t turn around, you don’t see him, but you know he’s there. There have been so many – yes I will use the word again – signs. And I’m not talking about the sheer perfection of creation – you know like the grass and animals and flowers and stuff – which is cool in itself. About about blatant punching me in the face with His awesomeness.

My parents survival in the country is riddled with God signs.

The fact that my first brother is alive and not mentally or physically disabled is a God sign.

The fact that I’m alive and not dead due to cult sacrifice is definitely a God sign (yep you read correctly. Wanna hear about this story?)

Jesus has shown Himself to me many times and in many ways. And although I have always followed Him, it’s high time to take the step and join the Body as He so commanded.

¹³Once again Jesus went out beside

the lake. A large crowd came to him,

and he began to teach them. ¹

⁴As he walked along, he saw Levi son

of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s

booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him,

and Levi got up and followed him.

¹⁵While Jesus was having dinner at

Levi’s house, many tax collectors and

“sinners” were eating with him and

his disciples, for there were many who

followed him. ¹⁶When the teachers of

the law who were Pharisees saw

him eating with the “sinners” and tax

collectors, they asked his disciples:

“Why does he eat with tax collectors

and ’sinners’?” ¹⁷On hearing this, Jesus

said to them, “It is not the healthy

who need a doctor, but the sick.

I have not come to call the righteous,

but sinners.”

mark 2:13-17

Anybody who knows me knows I want to be an actress and have wanted to be since I can remember (ok, I think I have started many posts with this, but bear with me). Slightly fewer know that I want to own my own business(es) because I cannot see myself working for somebody else forever. Sometimes I feel discouraged and believe my brain tells me to “be serious” or “be real.” Sometimes I feel that I will be stuck doing what I have to and not what I want to. But then I am bombarded with inspiration. Things/People that show me that I must continue with my dreams. ‘Cause I can achieve them. That they are possible. And I think that this year will be the year. 2010. I hope that by September, I will be doing what I want, full time. But meanwhile, here is a list of my current inspirations:

Kelsey Vanderhorst – KV Bijou

Kelsey started her business about a year ago. She quit her job, put her head down and worked on her dream. Where is she today? Making jewelry for the Sundance Film Festival! Ummm… what?! Such a tremendous inspiration.

DJ QPid

This guy is living his dream. Doing what he wants and loving it. The road may not have always been smooth, but he is living his passion. And loving it. The operative phrase.

Bianca Juarez – In the Name of Love

This woman of God combines everything: her love of the Lord and her love for people. She does this and feels honored. But one cannot even begin to imagine how many people she has touched.

Jasmine Star

Randomly she is Bianca’s sister. Twins too. Look at her pictures and you’ll realize that I don’t need to say anymore. She is living her dream. In an industry that people constantly knock. How many times have aspiring photogs been told that “you can’t do that for a living.”??

Dammy Ogunseitan – Reach Magazine

Who says, one day, “I’m going to start my own magazine” and then does it??? Come on! And, this is not his first.

Sandra-Joy Unaegbu – Joyful Photography

Ok, she’s my sister, but she is freaking talented. She has the balls (ooops do I say that? …umm… sorry kids) to pursue what she wants to. Again in the face of opposition. That’s quite more than I have been able to do so far. She hasn’t been a photog for long, but her work looks like she has been doing it for life. Seriously talented. Contact her now because she will get too big for you soon!

Dawn Davis

I love the fact that she gave up her job as an accountant. She gave up her “real” job to do something she loves. I love the “About” section primarily where she says:

I don’t say this to boast, I say this because I believe!  I believe that if I can do this, so can you.  You can live the life you want you just need to believe in yourself, work hard, and move in a positive direction.  Why not DREAM BIG? I do!

(And before anybody tsk tsks me about the newageyness about “believing in myself” she also says she deeply believes in our Lord).

Frankly. I will do what I must. I cannot do what I “have to” for the rest of my life. I will to quit my “real” job. I will do what I want to and what makes me happy. If I find myself doubting, I just remind myself of this list of people. It they can do it.

So can I.

Trust in the LORD
with all your heart
and lean not
on your own understanding;
in all your ways
acknowledge him,
and he will make
your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

I guess any year can be the year of the entrepreneur, but I claim this year as my year.

I cannot work for anybody else for the rest of my life. That much I know about myself. I need to be my own boss. I will only be content being an actress and running my own business(es).

My cousin Jummy, says that I have many good ideas. I will agree that I have ideas, but it’s the execution that’s lacking. That’s why I am claiming this year as the year I execute.

I have ideas for businesses, scripts and ministry. I do not make New Year resolutions, but I plan to take all my ideas to fruition this year or at least start on all of them. I am currently in the middle of writing a business plan/proposal for one of them. Hopefully I will be finished in the next day or two.

My cousin and I set a goal for the end of this month. Mine was to finish at least two business proposals. We were interrupted before I could get hers.

But look out world for the both of us! Might be more than you can handle.

And maybe I can be featured in this masterpiece.

Just maybe.

1) iPhone users.
2) Blackberry users.
3) and phones that call and text…users.

It’s almost a war out there.

I just got my iPhone, and so did my sister.

My youngest brother and my dad also have one.

I personally love the iPhone (although I feel like I’m betraying my country of birth).

And the people I know swear by their Blackberry

As for the other 1/3, I’m pretty sure they’re content.

Which phone do you have?

And please watch this video because it’s HILL.LAIR.REE.US!!

(If you cannot view this video, click here)

I know what I’ll be doing.

I’ll be watching this:

How cute is that?

I can’t wait to watch 90 minutes of awesome cuteness.

I love kids.

(If you are unable to view this video, click here)

I found the following video on Carlos Whittaker’s blog.

He was filming the EPK for his new record.

What happened was amazing.

But then again everything is amazing with God.

(Quoted from Carlos’ blog)

If you listen carefully at the end you hear me saying this to Danny.
“Keep trying to make it man.”
He looked me square in the eye…cocked his head sideways with a confused look on his face…and said,
“Trying to make it? No man. I ain’t trying to make it…I’m making it. Jah puts His soldiers everywhere. Jah says, Yea though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death… So He places some of us, in that valley.”

He is the God of second chances.

He is the God of mercy.

Of our salvation.

God is.

This is how I plan on working on my fitness in the New Year.

Hurry! They are in high demand.

Thank me later!!

(thanks Joy P.)

<<Wasn’t sure which blog to write the following post on. I decided both would suffice>>

I wrote this post a mere 8 days ago.

And crazily enough, I JUST BOOKED A COMMERCIAL!!!

YAAAAY!

So weird that it happened so soon after I wrote this post.

But not so weird because God answers prayers!

Funny thing is, I had auditioned for the gig before I wrote that post. I then got a callback this last Tuesday. About an hour later, my agent texted me to say that the client liked me and to keep the dates open in case they book me. Yesterday they called to get my measurements, but told me that I was not formally booked yet.

TODAY, my agent called and said they booked me. Jesus, thanks Sir (said in the Igbo accent of my grandmother).

What is the commercial you ask?

It’s a soda commercial, so we know it’s a US production (hehe… as an American educated Canadian, I stubbornly still made sure I said “pop” whenever referring to the beverage).

It’s going to be shown worldwide I believe. And I play a sports fan.

Description of the callback.

It was pretty funny. It was about 40 minutes behind schedule. I saw a couple of friends of mine there. This one guy, had on a Boston Celtics shirt. He went in before me. When he came out, he gave me a quick run down: “They will ask you who your team is (you can pick any team) and they make you cheer individually for the camera.” Although I am an athletic individual, I am not an athletic-watching individual. I thought to myself, I don’t have a team… oh and I said it out loud too. I decided to go with the the Boston Celtics.

Three of us went in. We slated (said our name) and I went first. I screamed for the Celtics like my life depended on it. Then the guy at the table stopped me.

Guy: So, the Celtics are your team?

Me: Umm…. nope.

<<laughter from others in the back watching the monitor>>

Guy: Wow, you did a good job selling it then.

Me: The only person I know who played for the Boston Celtic was Larry Bird.

<<more laughter>>

Guy: Ok, so do you have a team then?

Me: Uhh…. no.

<<laughter again>>

Me: But sommmetimes, I watch university volleyball.

Guy: Ok, what’s your team?

Me: The Spartans [the team I played for in uni].

Guy: The Spartans?

Me: Yep.

Guy: Ok, cheer for the Spartans.

I did. And then the other two went and then we all left. And the rest is history.

My New Anthem

Ok, so people may know that I went to the Toby Mac Winter Wonder Slam concert last Friday. Believe me, this reference relates to this booked gig news.

Toby brought three other acts with him: Relient K, Stephanie Smith and B. Reith. My new anthem is a song by Mr. Reith. I had never heard of him before Friday. I wrote a status update about the concert on my facebook and my friend commented saying that B. Reith was going to be there. I quickly googled him so I could see what to expect.

Anyway, he KILLED IT at the concert.

My sister and I went home and Youtubed his music. And then I bought his Now is Not Forever album on iTunes (*gasp* cheap me bought something on iTunes)!!!!

It’s just that good.

So, fast forward to Tuesday, driving to the audition, I discovered a song called Old School. I soon put it on repeat.

Here are some of the lyrics (verse 2):

They said keep on doin’ what you do B
And maybe one day you’ll end up in the movies
Maybe I can play Shaggy in Scooby Doo 3 and co-star with Angelina Julie
Oops I meant Jolie okee-dokee
I didn’t come just to mess around and make jokes see
I got a mission an agenda and an antidote peep
A contradiction to the message of Oprah Winfrey
Oops, did I just say that out loud? Well there you go now it’s out
I won’t be in her magazine or on her t.v. show now
But I refused to be duped into believin’
The truth is whatever you choose to believe in
Oh boy here come the protesters
Get out your helmets and your bullet proof vests ’cause
They’re comin’ for you if you rock the boat
But I’m gonna go against the flow of the status quo ’cause I’m

Chorus:

So tired of trying to please everyone, a million different opinions
I’m just going to be myself whether they like it or not, I’m giving it all that I got

The song talks about being yourself. Keeping morals whether others like it or not. Sometimes that is hard, especially in the industry that he and I have chosen. It’s difficult, but doable. I have found that sometimes when auditioning or even in class, I try to perform or audition in the the way others might want to see it, instead of letting myself shine through. Listening to this song on repeat loosened me up and I felt a calm. I took myself into that audition, complete with answering the auditioner guy’s questions my way and not in the way I thought he would like to hear.

The client liked me. The real me.

It’s not to say that the song got me the audition, but needless to say, it is my new anthem.

Click here for the rest of the lyrics.

And here is the song.

You’re welcome.

Ok, so on Friday, December 11, 2009, I went to my first concert.

Yup, my first concert ever.

In 28 years.

It just so happened to be Toby Mac’s Winter Wonder Slam. Um… if I were to describe the concert event as amazing, that would be an understatement.

I can’t even put into words how fantastic it was.

My words are not sufficient.

I am not a starstruck prone person and that day was no different. What touched me about the thing was the LORD’s presence. It was felt throughout the entire night. Not only was it a concert, it was complete worship. COMPLETELY!

Furthermore, my sister made a statement that I completely agree with. It was something to this effect: it’s good to go to a concert like that because it reassures us that there are people our age who are praising God. And that there is “cool” Christian music out there.

Christians have had a difficult rap in the entertainment industry. It’s because we tend to churn out “subpar” productions (gasp! did I say that?). We “Christianized” products, which just end up being cheaper versions. I’m sorry to say that, but it’s true. That’s why people are left with a weird taste in their mouths when they hear about Christian music. Or Christian movies.

They do not expect it to be as good. Or good period.

That is what exactly happened when I was talking to my friend about this concert. I was literally counting down the days until the concert. I kept on mentioning Toby Mac’s name. Finally, I think she looked him up and she was surprised. She had her own idea about what the concert was going to be like because he was a “Christian singer.” She found out what his music was really about and she wanted to come. She’s a Hindu.

Toby Mac knows how to put on a show. There is no doubt. But more importantly, his love of God is evident in what he does.

B Reith, Stephanie Smith and Relient K were also A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I had never heard of B Reith or Stephanie Smith before this, but I will definitely be buying their music. As for Relient K….there are just awesome. Annnnnd Toby Mac’s singers/band were just incredible. They were having so much fun. Everybody involved in that production were just ridiculous.

In short, I had such an incredible time at my first concert. What it also did was reassure me that I can make it in this industry as a Christian without compromising myself.

I want to make Winter Wonder Slam an annual thing. Even if they do not return to BC, I think I’m going to travel.

Psalm 68:4 says this: Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

That is exactly what happened on December 11, 2009 in Abbotsford, BC.

GOD IS LORD!