Bethany Blaze

10/07/2024

I have reached 500 followers! Thank you for your continued support. I could not have done it without each of you. 🙏🤗🎉

11/12/2023

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83558056984?pwd=ajRaaGtyRVB2MkoyVGlIUTBSL1BHdz09

30/08/2023

Thank you my amazing friends.

I have reached 500 followers! Thank you for your continued support. I could not have done it without each of you. 🙏🤗🎉

07/03/2023

I like food.

01/11/2022

24/08/2020

Death Has Brought Down The Dead But The Living Shall Live.

"Better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart."
📌(Eccl 7:2)

There's this thing about burial ceremonies. Many times, I actually prefer to attend one than even a wedding ceremony.

Death has a way of equalizing everyone. It is one thing besides birth that places all of us on the same level irrespective of any societal constructs and conditionings.

It knows no Christian or Moslem, LGBTQ or straight, rich or poor, privileged or unprivileged.

There's this burial I attended recently. As the mass went on, I began to look around. I began to muse over certain things. Then, I began to take notes.

As I beheld the participants (I'm supposed to be one but was more of an observer.lol)

I saw how most homosapiens in attendance were so calm, cool and after the Holy communion, sanctimoniously taking steps towards their respective seats.

I watched as the atmosphere that was so solemn and orderly came alive during the applause for a aesthetically evoking musical rendition. That's it. A little here and there.

The dead didn't leave so long. Yet the death takes to another phase but for how long? No one knows the fate of such transition. The only thing is that we have hope for a befitting life in eternity.

The questions may be plenty but even without answers, our downheartedness will not abide.

The tears don't need to cease but one day, there will be joy.

The rains have endured but there will be sunshine.

No matter your affiliated worldview, death usually offers you another opportunity to review and revaluate where you are and what you believe.

As I go ahead with my usual activities on this day, I'm tempted to ask, what actually happens the moment those people leave the confines of the burial venue?

After the mass, the fights will continue, those gender wars on social media come back to life, the wahalas that were suspended suddenly go full throttle. "Please hide my identity* continues to increase.

Why not continue to love?
Why not continue blessing lives?

Live your life. Just know that one day, you will equally die your death.

Ozuola.

Omeela.

Jisie ike!

©2020 Bethany Blaze.

09/08/2020

How About Tempering Your Expectations?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.(Prov. 13:12).

Recently, I had this discussion with a lady and a guy.

Well, let me start with that of the guy because it happened first and was referenced in my discussion with the lady.

My guy who is happily married to his beautiful something ☺️☺️ told me this:

"Go into marriage with zero expectations. In this way, you won't be taken by surprise over what you see as times go by.

He went ahead to share his reasons and they are quite relatable and believable.

Come to think of it. If you had expectations so to speak and such expectations enter ghost mode nko? Shall we then end that evening mass and go back to our respective homes and console ourselves with imaginary benedictions?

I have mused over time and come to the understanding that this truth has so much depth to it.

Now comes the discussion with my lady friend. We highlighted the possible reasons couples get into conflict and and we both agree that people misapply concepts and ideas gotten from other marriages and it leads to unrealistic expectations. When expectations are hinged on idealistic mindsets rather that realistic manifestations, conflicts become inevitable.

"What man should do" and "what a woman should not do" is the basis for many of these issues. We create constructs and ordain victims of issues yet come back to bash the aggressors. What sort of innocent and normative hypocrisy is that?

Expectations aren't bad in themselves but we have to ask ourselves if they are our major motivations rather than the success of the union.

We have to check if they are realistic and realizeable. It is only a fool that will expect orange juice from cup of sand or words from the mouth of the dead.

Nothing exists where we think things are but many things reside in the place of plenty whether we think they are resident or not.

©2020 Bethany Blaze.

26/07/2020

🅢🅔🅡🅜🅞🅝 🅞🅝 🅜🅞🅤🅝🅣 🅑🅔🅣🅗🅐🅝🅨

You may be interested today and end up being uninterested tomorrow.

You might be relevant today but find yourself far away from the corridors of relevance tomorrow.

Your services may be found necessary today but tomorrow nobody knows you ever existed.

You may be called the loved one today only to find out that you were just one of those on the list.

You may be seen as indispensable today only to be hastily dispensed with tomorrow.

Chai, things dey happen!

You may be the adored quintessence of fame today only to be missing on the hall of fame tomorrow.

You might be the best thing ever today and tomorrow you are remembered as the the worst thing ever.

You could pride yourself in being the best today while the next day you were actually the worse of them all.

You have it all today and it all comes to nought tomorrow.

You can build the most glorious of structures and tomorrow, it all crumbles like a pack of cards.

C'est la vie!

It could get so bad but the next day or becomes very good.

It could be all rosy today while tomorrow the thorns which have been hidden beside the roses, rise in prominence.

It won't be strange if you're in charge today and end up getting discharged tomorrow.

It could be good, it can be bad. It can get so dark and then turn so bright.

One thing remains certain and continues to be constant-You.

Remove allocations, locations, public appellations and personal affirmations, you are still the same you.

Where you find relevance only changed but not your personal relevance. It could be so difficult to see this as a struggling young man, disgruntled young lady, frustrated spouse, unappreciated colleague and a troubled boss.

Uwadiegwu!

I still say the truth and until you begin to see it for what it is, these words won't make sense to you.

I have shared the words, it is up to you to heed to the message.

©2020 Bethany Blaze

19/07/2020

When The Rains Become Distractions

Sitting down and doing my best to listen, the priest continued to dish out the sermon.

In his bid to carry everyone along, he roused and aroused, his voice billowing across the auditorium.

First time taking part in an Igbo church service in long time, to me was going as planned. But something is trying to hinder, prevent or make it unreality.

I'm trying my best to listen, the rains deafening as ever.

Is there a problem with the rain?

Is there anything we can make out of this?

I believe that rains generally signify blessings. See Isaiah 55:10:

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,"

Well, how many times have blessings become distractions; Sometimes they do.

Is there anything wrong with that blessing?

Blessings are never curses. When they constitute thorns and thistles, something is wrong somewhere.

See Prov 10:22.
"The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.*

Well, I had to take out time to write about this. We writers write anywhere we can. Maybe that's what I could out of the whole message.

Did you connect or go to church today?

Happy Sunday.

©2020 Bethany Blaze.

15/07/2020

Most of the complaints littered all over our society and interactive media relate to issues bordering on identity.

Since many of us aren't even conversant with what identity means and the extent it actually influences our daily lives, we swing from living unintentionally to mindset induced behaviours that are injurious and damning to our lives.

We think we are in control but we don't even know what it means to be in control. We think we are fine yet that ' I'm fine" can't be properly defined.

You think you don't need help yet your need for help is plastered all over your face, ringing so loud from your voice and reflected even in your dressing.

You can only be saved if you are in the position of those that need to be saved.

You have to desire it and do what you need to do as required.

It's not rocket science and this is not about watering down the direness of your situation or experience.

Who Are You?

This question has been asked a zillion times and it up to you to answer for yourself.

How did you know you you are?

You can see why you have to go back to the very beginning to unravel the bits and pieces, nitty-gritties of your primal make up.

What is your true/real/authentic/ original self?

That thing you can do without recourse to what other people may think about you or it.

What can you do?

What is your earnest desire?

What opportunities have you created, found out or maximized to express the longings of your identity?

Do you need help with any of these?

Are you caught in a rut, feeling like you are out of the game of life?

Send a DM to explore these services?

©2020 Bethany Blaze.