There is much to celebrate about this election. Not least of which is that it indicates Americans' willingness to take a chance based on hope, rather than stay the course because of fear. Whether the choice proves to be correct or not, that thinking lies at the center of all great societies and Americans should be proud to have moved in that direction.
Barack Obama's election tells me more about America and who the Americans are as a nation than me and the rest of the world and Americans can fully appreciate barely 72 hours after Obama’s election - that's what it means to be the kind of historic event which people, including me, are calling it. I believe that both his election and his presidency are filled with enormous potential. But perhaps we should hold off on grand claims which either claim to know the mind of God or the future of the world.
I don't know however, if the "world has changed", as a lot of people both the liberals and evangelicals assert. How could we already know? Though I appreciate the enthusiasm, it may actually and quite unhelpfully to the body of Christ.
I do know that no rational person can claim that Barack Obama is the Messiah, literally God's anointed. The fact that people are even suggesting that is pretty disturbing. The fact that people will go this far is even more disturbing. Some evangelical Christian even said the election of Obama marks the beginning of anti- Christ. How can anyone assert with total certainty that “The president-elect is the Messiah or the beginning of anti-Christ” . Isn’t that precisely the kind of talk that scares people from the body of Christ?
If the only distinction between the religious left and the religious right is the political conclusions which they reach, and not the degree of humility with which they reach them, then a pox on both their houses! People would rather live in a thoroughly secular world than one in which people make prophetic claims about American politics - especially when they seem to think that they are the prophets.
If people are serious about healing the divides in this country, as Obama has pledged over and again, let's follow his example. Let's celebrate this moment with smaller claims about its significance and larger acts which embody the values we claim to celebrate here and around the world.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I got a call from my native nigeria yesterday it was my counsin Edache calling to share his excitement. The election of barack Obama the 44th President united state of America.
He told me how he was awake allnight watching cable network news (cnn). It was such a joy to see people in america and around the world celebrating this election.It just shows how much this country is still loved around the world and message sends to them.
I've being watching the electoral process right from the democratic and republican primaries respectively. The entire process thought me about transparency and the power of the voters in choosing leaders and how democracy and it principles work.
Earlier in the morning, i went with my wife to the polling station where she cast her vote, we had a brief discussion on the election and some of the proposition on the ballot i saw in her the individual independent of the american voters which is not the case in the country where i come from. I had to put almost everything on hold to follow the electoral process b'cos of the way Obama presented himself not as a black man but as an american.
I saw plenty of evidence to support the view that the Obama's candidacy was racially nationally unifying, these reminded me of the annlled 1993 presidential election in nigeria where both the presidential candidate and his vice were muslims both muslims and christians alike voted for them. In these difficult times, people everywhere are crying out for change,"Barack Obama is the first of a new generation of leaders who will deliver it – he has my wholehearted congratulations this is a moment that will live in history as long as history books are written.
"Indeed America is the land of possibilities my hopes comes alive not only in Obama but altimately in Jesus christ our hope, author and finisher of our faith. "God bless America".
He told me how he was awake allnight watching cable network news (cnn). It was such a joy to see people in america and around the world celebrating this election.It just shows how much this country is still loved around the world and message sends to them.
I've being watching the electoral process right from the democratic and republican primaries respectively. The entire process thought me about transparency and the power of the voters in choosing leaders and how democracy and it principles work.
Earlier in the morning, i went with my wife to the polling station where she cast her vote, we had a brief discussion on the election and some of the proposition on the ballot i saw in her the individual independent of the american voters which is not the case in the country where i come from. I had to put almost everything on hold to follow the electoral process b'cos of the way Obama presented himself not as a black man but as an american.
I saw plenty of evidence to support the view that the Obama's candidacy was racially nationally unifying, these reminded me of the annlled 1993 presidential election in nigeria where both the presidential candidate and his vice were muslims both muslims and christians alike voted for them. In these difficult times, people everywhere are crying out for change,"Barack Obama is the first of a new generation of leaders who will deliver it – he has my wholehearted congratulations this is a moment that will live in history as long as history books are written.
"Indeed America is the land of possibilities my hopes comes alive not only in Obama but altimately in Jesus christ our hope, author and finisher of our faith. "God bless America".
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Change
Its funny life's changes...there are the little day to day changes of new apt, new clothes, new friends, new procedures at work etc.. then there are those monumental changes like leaving home for college, graduation, moving cross country for your 1st job, moving cross country again for your 2nd job......MARRIAGE. I don't think you can ever prepare yourself enough for any sort of change. I compare change to hurling myself off of a cliff. It comes down to well am I gonna do it or am I not!! There have been some cliff moments that I have walked away from knowing...well...yeah, not this time...and there are others that the leap was o so enticing and I did the jump but did crash into the trees and rocks along the way. Left with some bumps and bruises and the feeling like; well that was a bumpy ride....maybe I should put a little more thought into that next time...hahaha...all in all. Life is a bumpy journey full of lots of risks, bumps, bruises, tears, joys, and sorrows. And I have to say and I know this will sound sappy but one of the things I saw in Chris was I knew in the core of my being that this is someone I can do life with and want to do life's journey with and want to learn life with. awwwww Yeah I know I'm puking. :) Our lives just seemed to flow together and getting married and starting our life just flowed so naturally that when I do sit back and look at it ...I'm shocked. Its hard to explain but it just goes....and now I'm going through the process of changing my name, my life, my status, all my credit cards. I have a new last name! I'm still shocked every time I have to give it to someone...not use to this. I'm under a whole new name! And not use to using the word husband...its so weird to me. So I just call him Chris...and I think through all the terms...husband, partner, significant other....hmmm wow do I really have a husband!! I still feel like a single girl at times. All in all I'm glad I do have a God that is with me all along the way...through every cliff moment, every jump, every crash, and every flight :) He is faithful and with me all along the way.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
My Biblical sense of Marriage
To get at the best in anything, you need facts. I consider facts as the father of success. Every success in marriage is fathered by facts, not luck. Quite a number of people have very peaceful and harmonious homes. Some are not even Christians, but they have unconsciously engaged the vital law of success in marriage the law of sense. Many have put the blame for their troubled homes at the door of the devil. But I believe the devil is not to be blamed for some of the problems we find in homes today. Some of them are self-caused. I do not intend that for my home!The Bible says by wisdom is a house built and by understanding it is established (Prov. 24:3-4). Wisdom has a way of establishing peace and serenity in the home. But it places a responsibility on me. Men with successful homes have accepted the responsibility of loving their wives, and the wives have also accepted the responsibility of submitting to their husbands. The Bible sense for getting into marriage or for enjoying a successful home is accepting my responsibility in designing or determining our destiny. I believe that shortage of sense is the reason for problems in the home. Marriage is neither a myth nor magic. It is a relationship consciously entered into. You can't wake up one morning and find somebody by your side. That happened only once in the garden of Eden, never to happen again. Marriage is a good thing established by God, for the benefit of man. But to enjoy the benefits, it must be entered into as God intended it to be. Starting right is the solid foundation for success in marriage. The Bible says in Psalm 11:3: If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Success in marriage starts even before a couple enters into marriage. A sure foundation sets the pace for a successful home.
1. Finding The Person "How do I get into marriage?" is the first question you must ask. I ask myself this critical question before I propose to Joanna. The answer is in Proverbs 18:22: Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord. "Whoso findeth..." not, "Whoso prayeth or fasteth", or "Whoso his father giveth a wife..." Finding a wife is a conscious act. It doesn't happen in a sleep or dream. You enter into marriage with your senses alive. You consciously engage yourself in a finding process, by opening your mind and eyes to locate who you can spend your lifetime with which I found in Joanna Moody. The finding process is not spiritual, but a practical one. You open your eyes wide to find a partner. After finding, you evaluate what you have found, if it is what you really want or not. Joanna and I believe in service to humanity by affecting lives of people we come across our part and leaving a mark in this world. As a believer, there are two basic criteria for determining who to marry. Must Be A Believer No matter the counsel, dream, or vision, there is no meeting point between a Christian and a sinner. The Abrahamic covenant demands that I marry among my kinsmen only. I'm not permitted to marry strangers. In simple language, the unbeliever is out of the question for me as a believer, no matter how i feel about it or how much i would have loved to.The Bible is clear on this. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: forwhat fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 Considering an unbeliever for marriage is completely out of the question, no matter how well you i'm convinced that someday she will be saved. If i go on in a relationship with an unbeliever, it is easier for me to backslide than for an unbeliver to saved. This is because it is easier to be pulled down from a height than to be pulled up from a well or valley. It is Scripturally unsafe for me to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. No matter what possession the unbeliever has, she is out of the way. Even if she is the most beautiful lady on earth, she is out of the way. Even if i claim she looks beautiful, there are many beautiful devils. A beautiful woman does not mean a saved woman. You may say, "In fact, since I knew her or him, they have never hurt a fly." You will be the first fly sheor him will hurt! You don't need to pray or think about considering an unbeliever as a marriage partner. God gave us brains so we can let Him rest. God doesn't listen to prayers that negate His Word. Your friends and church members may hear your groaning in prayer, but God won't, if it contradicts His Word.
The second criterion for making choice on who to marry is agreement. The Bible says: Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3 And I ask myrself, "Do we agree? Are we working towards a common goal?" our desire is towards a successful home, I don't need prayer to be able to answer them. After these two criteria have been met, we make our choice of a marriage partner. Don't be afraid to make your choice, because even God respects your choice (Deut. 30:19). To marry someone you don't like makes you a fool.
After reaching my decision I went ahead to communicate to her of my choice, my desire to marry her. I give her a chance to decide whether she wants to marry me or not. Because I understand that agreement for marriage should be by choice, not under any religious influence. God is not the author of confusion. Choice must be by mutual agreement, not by spiritual harassment. When a lady says "No" to your proposal, go and look elsewhere for a wife. She has a right to choose who she wants to marry, so do not blackmail or stampede her into marrying me by telling her God said she is my wife. I thank God she said yes J Everyone has a right to decide who he or she wants to marry. Marriage is by choice, not by force. Courtship is a fact-finding period. Marriage without courtship naturally ends in crisis, because there was no opportunity to get to know each other and prove whether the choice made was wise or not. Although ours wasn’t that long but, we knew each other and our calling. Courtship for is only a period of proving our compatibility. Courtship is a covenant culture for a successful marriage. It gives us the opportunity to change our mind in the process.
Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. The covenant demands that I protect the relationship from defilement. The honour of marriage is an undefiled bed. For those who are ignorant of this, the former things God has overlooked. Those who know it pay heavily for disobeyingevery beautiful thing has a price tag. So I will protect my relationship, and i will enjoy dignity. ...For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Matthew 19:5 This is the foundation. For my home to be successful, we both have leave our parents to cleave to each other. A boy can't leave home; only men can. Neither can a girl leave home; girls live at home. Immaturity is the reason why many couples are in a house, but are not at home. They are married to their spouses quite alright, but they are at home with their parents. We are absolutely responsible for our choice, we will not fail! Our home shall be the haven God created it to be, in Jesus' name!
In His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forever, not pressures. - Psalm 16:11
This is what i know and intend to abide by and live with myn sweetheart!
CHRIS.
1. Finding The Person "How do I get into marriage?" is the first question you must ask. I ask myself this critical question before I propose to Joanna. The answer is in Proverbs 18:22: Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord. "Whoso findeth..." not, "Whoso prayeth or fasteth", or "Whoso his father giveth a wife..." Finding a wife is a conscious act. It doesn't happen in a sleep or dream. You enter into marriage with your senses alive. You consciously engage yourself in a finding process, by opening your mind and eyes to locate who you can spend your lifetime with which I found in Joanna Moody. The finding process is not spiritual, but a practical one. You open your eyes wide to find a partner. After finding, you evaluate what you have found, if it is what you really want or not. Joanna and I believe in service to humanity by affecting lives of people we come across our part and leaving a mark in this world. As a believer, there are two basic criteria for determining who to marry. Must Be A Believer No matter the counsel, dream, or vision, there is no meeting point between a Christian and a sinner. The Abrahamic covenant demands that I marry among my kinsmen only. I'm not permitted to marry strangers. In simple language, the unbeliever is out of the question for me as a believer, no matter how i feel about it or how much i would have loved to.The Bible is clear on this. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: forwhat fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 Considering an unbeliever for marriage is completely out of the question, no matter how well you i'm convinced that someday she will be saved. If i go on in a relationship with an unbeliever, it is easier for me to backslide than for an unbeliver to saved. This is because it is easier to be pulled down from a height than to be pulled up from a well or valley. It is Scripturally unsafe for me to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. No matter what possession the unbeliever has, she is out of the way. Even if she is the most beautiful lady on earth, she is out of the way. Even if i claim she looks beautiful, there are many beautiful devils. A beautiful woman does not mean a saved woman. You may say, "In fact, since I knew her or him, they have never hurt a fly." You will be the first fly sheor him will hurt! You don't need to pray or think about considering an unbeliever as a marriage partner. God gave us brains so we can let Him rest. God doesn't listen to prayers that negate His Word. Your friends and church members may hear your groaning in prayer, but God won't, if it contradicts His Word.
The second criterion for making choice on who to marry is agreement. The Bible says: Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3 And I ask myrself, "Do we agree? Are we working towards a common goal?" our desire is towards a successful home, I don't need prayer to be able to answer them. After these two criteria have been met, we make our choice of a marriage partner. Don't be afraid to make your choice, because even God respects your choice (Deut. 30:19). To marry someone you don't like makes you a fool.
After reaching my decision I went ahead to communicate to her of my choice, my desire to marry her. I give her a chance to decide whether she wants to marry me or not. Because I understand that agreement for marriage should be by choice, not under any religious influence. God is not the author of confusion. Choice must be by mutual agreement, not by spiritual harassment. When a lady says "No" to your proposal, go and look elsewhere for a wife. She has a right to choose who she wants to marry, so do not blackmail or stampede her into marrying me by telling her God said she is my wife. I thank God she said yes J Everyone has a right to decide who he or she wants to marry. Marriage is by choice, not by force. Courtship is a fact-finding period. Marriage without courtship naturally ends in crisis, because there was no opportunity to get to know each other and prove whether the choice made was wise or not. Although ours wasn’t that long but, we knew each other and our calling. Courtship for is only a period of proving our compatibility. Courtship is a covenant culture for a successful marriage. It gives us the opportunity to change our mind in the process.
Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. The covenant demands that I protect the relationship from defilement. The honour of marriage is an undefiled bed. For those who are ignorant of this, the former things God has overlooked. Those who know it pay heavily for disobeyingevery beautiful thing has a price tag. So I will protect my relationship, and i will enjoy dignity. ...For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Matthew 19:5 This is the foundation. For my home to be successful, we both have leave our parents to cleave to each other. A boy can't leave home; only men can. Neither can a girl leave home; girls live at home. Immaturity is the reason why many couples are in a house, but are not at home. They are married to their spouses quite alright, but they are at home with their parents. We are absolutely responsible for our choice, we will not fail! Our home shall be the haven God created it to be, in Jesus' name!
In His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forever, not pressures. - Psalm 16:11
This is what i know and intend to abide by and live with myn sweetheart!
CHRIS.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wedding pics
Here are some of the pics. we had taken at our little wedding. The pastor's wife took them for us :)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
ME CHRIS!
Hey Friends, a lot of my wife's friend want to know who am I. My name is Chris Adikwu born December 25 1976 in kaduna nigeria to Peter & Alice Adikwu a humble and dedicated christians. I am fourth of ten children while my father served in the nigerian army my mother was looking after her children and trading in fresh farm produce in verious mamy market in the army barracks.
After graduation from high school, ( Government College, Makurdi -Nigeria) "ever being to boarding school"? i love it :) I studied at the Benue state university Makurdi and the University of Nigeria in 2000 and 2003 with a degree in Education & Geography and Ms in Soil Sciences (Agronomy) respectively.
I have had banking experience in the area of Customer service, cash management(inter bank transaction) and Retail banking group.
I also own and operate a company in the area of the environment we specialize in the area of consulting on policy implementation, educating locals on the effect of deforestation and the benefit of aforestation ( Tree planting) initiating youth projects on environmental awereness.
I met my wife, Joanna through my cousin prior to my trip to the united states to attend the 8th National conference on science policy and the environment in washington DC .
We were married in july 26 2008 in sedona AZ. She is the most beautiful person inside out that i have ever met, i also saw the perfect embodiment of who she is when i met her parent during the july 4th holiday. I never knew i was going to fall in love and be married in america :) she is the love of my life and we have set out on a beautiful journey of life together knowing fully well that better days are ahead of us.
Thanking you all as you join us in this journey for those who have passed through this road before us we look up to you for encouragement and for those traveling the same road we say "Welcome"!
After graduation from high school, ( Government College, Makurdi -Nigeria) "ever being to boarding school"? i love it :) I studied at the Benue state university Makurdi and the University of Nigeria in 2000 and 2003 with a degree in Education & Geography and Ms in Soil Sciences (Agronomy) respectively.
I have had banking experience in the area of Customer service, cash management(inter bank transaction) and Retail banking group.
I also own and operate a company in the area of the environment we specialize in the area of consulting on policy implementation, educating locals on the effect of deforestation and the benefit of aforestation ( Tree planting) initiating youth projects on environmental awereness.
I met my wife, Joanna through my cousin prior to my trip to the united states to attend the 8th National conference on science policy and the environment in washington DC .
We were married in july 26 2008 in sedona AZ. She is the most beautiful person inside out that i have ever met, i also saw the perfect embodiment of who she is when i met her parent during the july 4th holiday. I never knew i was going to fall in love and be married in america :) she is the love of my life and we have set out on a beautiful journey of life together knowing fully well that better days are ahead of us.
Thanking you all as you join us in this journey for those who have passed through this road before us we look up to you for encouragement and for those traveling the same road we say "Welcome"!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to our blog. Here you can be updated on the every changing events of Chris and Joanna Adikwu. Suprise we got married!! I know the shock is still settling in for many of you :) But here you can treck with our lives and get to know us each more. We both have a huge heart for our friends and family and we want to use all means to remain connected. So please feel free to comment and ask questions on the going ons of our lives. We love you all very much and hope to have sweet times of fellowship with each and everyone of you. Till then the virtual world will be our forum.
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