My Thoughts on Valentine's Day ...

Just a little something I wrote, as featured in "A Love Story" - Vol. 1 (Magazine)
Enjoy!
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Red. It’s the most popular colour of the day. A dozen red roses, perfectly scented, hand-picked and delivered to your door. Champagne on ice, served with juicy red strawberries. Presents beautifully wrapped with red satin ribbons. The Gucci curve-accentuating gown, the flawlessly-manicured shimmering fingertips, and the oh-so-kissable lips - all flaming hot RED!

Red. It’s the colour he imagines his account will soon become, as he watches his date, whom already took shopping earlier in the day, excitedly order the most expensive items on the exotic menu in rapid succession!!! Ouch.

Red. It’s the colour of her eyes and her tear-stained, flushed cheeks, as she re-reads for the umpteenth time, the text message he sent minutes before their big date: “It’s over, I’m in love with someone else ... I’m sorry.” Double-ouch.

My thoughts on valentine’s day undoubtedly include memories – the fond and the not-so-fond. How could I ever forget excitedly opening one of my very first valentine’s day cards in high school, wondering who on earth it could be from, only to discover it was addressed to one of my classmates and not me! (Apparently, she had also got my card from the same guy! Can we say ‘playa without game?’ ... funny now but believe me I wasn’t laughing then.) Anyway, one of my fondest memories came on a very uneventful valentine’s day when, late in the afternoon, I strolled into the living room and saw a card addressed to me. I carefully read it, absorbing every line and gravity of emotion in every sentence, and reaching the end, I smiled – it was from my mom.

Everyone has thoughts on the subject of valentine’s day, but I think we all agree it’s a day to express love. What that LOVE is exactly, is where we may not all be on the same page. A thousand people could give a thousand definitions, but I get my definition of love from Love itself – God. Love is patient, kind, doesn’t envy or boast, isn’t proud, rude, self-seeking or easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs and doesn’t delight in evil. It rejoices with the truth, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. (1Corinthians 13).

Well, what are my thoughts on valentine’s day? ... Hmm. I’ve never been one of those people who lament about not having a date on valentine’s day, or who insist on a significant celebration of the day; that is not to say I’m averse to commemorating it. Perhaps it’s because my birthday is four days after valentine’s day, and the anticipation of celebrating my birthday overshadows the valentine’s day fever, or perhaps it’s because I’ve actually never celebrated that day with someone I’m in love with, not yet. Thus Valentine 2011 is particularly special to me because I’m engaged, and looking forward to what in effect will be my first true “Valentine.”

In a nutshell, here’s what I really think about V-day: it should be a day to express true love, especially to the people you so often take for granted throughout the year - the one’s closest to you, those people who you actually love and treasure the most. True love doesn’t seek to receive or insist on getting - it GIVES. V-day should be a day not just to say ‘I love you’ but to show it by giving. Yes, presents are nice, (I’ll take a thoughtfully-chosen gift any day!) but far above those, the most priceless gift you can give is YOU: A listening ear... An insightful compliment... A selfless act... A timeless audience... A soft answer... An unhurried embrace... A heart-warming smile... hmm.

Red... It IS the most popular colour of the day... It’s the colour he imagines... It’s the colour of her eyes... But it’s also the colour of the fluid running in the veins of every man, woman, boy and girl – blood. Your life is in your blood; and the laying down of one’s life for another is the ultimate display of true love. Permit me to share here, an excerpt from one of my poems, titled “What’s the colour of love?”

What’s the colour of a starving family, getting a hot meal from a stranger?
Of nakedness clothed in beauty, or being rescued from intense danger?
What’s the colour of complete guilt deserving of judgement, instead receiving mercy and grace
You’re dreading disdain, but receive honour; you expect a cold shoulder, but get a warm embrace
Tell me the colour of a man laying down his life for another
One that’s neither father, nor mother, not sister or brother
Tell me that, and then my friend, the colour of love I need not name
For THAT colour and Love’s hue are one and the same!

Bottom line, I must say I do believe we should show true love to one another on every one of the other 364 days of the year; but on Valentine’s Day, it wouldn’t hurt go the extra mile, and give the ones you love, and perhaps those who have no loved ones, just a little-bit-more of YOU!

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Lady I. - Wishing you and yours an unforgettably beautiful Valentine's Day!

THROUGH MY EYES: THEN AND NOW!

Through My Eyes: Then and Now! takes you on an inspiring journey of loss, loneliness, laughter and love! As the author shares true stories from her personal battle with sickle cell disease, her honesty, quick wit and conversational style will get your attention from touching start to triumphant finish. Furthermore, no matter who you are and/or what challenge you face, the author's surprising survival strategy is sure to inspire you!


REVIEWERS' PRAISE FOR THE BOOK ...
… an awesome book about pain, and the triumph of faith … the author is at once teacher, preacher, pain-bearer and friend… AN INCREDIBLE READ. A REAL PAGE-TURNER. EUGENIA ABU – award-winning essayist, broadcaster and author of ‘In the Blink of an Eye.’

… [this book] has positively influenced my care for patients with Sickle Cell Disease. A MUST READ. DR. OCHE OGBE – Chief Consultant Haematologist, National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.

… I propose this book and the wealth of experience of the writer to every reader … A MASTERPIECE … TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT! REV. GOODHEART O. EKWUEME - Visionary: National JAM Praise Festival & Winning Today Broadcast; Senior Pastor: The REFUGE, House on The Rock, Abuja, Nigeria.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ifueko Fex Ogbomo (a.k.a. Lady InspiroLogos) is a multi-talented writer, performance poet, voice-artist and speaker. She focuses on inspiring people to achieve fulfilling lives regardless of background, race, gender, age and physical challenges. She resides in Abuja, Nigeria. This is her first book.


A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE BOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword........................................8
From the Author................................12
PART 1: THEN...................................14
Chapter 1: In a World of Pain..................15
Chapter 2: It’s a Girl!........................23
Chapter 3: In English, Please!.................29
Chapter 4: Growing Pains.......................39
Chapter 5: My Brother, My Friend - A Tribute...55
Chapter 6: A Miraculous Recovery...............67
Chapter 7: Afflictions Arise Again.............79
Chapter 8: The ‘Real’ World....................87
PART 2: NOW!...................................102
Chapter 9: A New Friend, and My Secret Medicine...103
Chapter 10: Diagnosis Y-O-U!......................123
Chapter 11: Impossible is Nothing!................141
Chapter 12: My Hall of Fame.......................157


EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK...
Chapter 1: In a World of Pain
Thursday, January 4th 2007 - I’ve been staring at the same spot on the ceiling for the last three HOURS. I can almost hear each hurried beat of my overworked heart, and I count each one. I’m just waiting … I lay down, motionless, except for the intermittent rise and fall of my chest. As I draw in each excruciating breath, I feel as though a hundred knives are being driven through my entire chest and back, only to be viciously ripped out and mercilessly driven in again, and again, and again… I’m just waiting… if I had to qualify what I feel right now, the words excruciating, agonizing and tormenting come to mind ... A lone tear slowly makes its way down my face as I remember the countless times I’ve been in similar situations over the years ... Oh God, I really don’t know how much more of this I can take ...

Chapter 3: In English, Please!
Actually, I’m not a doctor, and while I can give you my definition based on more than a quarter-of-a-century of personal experience, permit me to give the medical explanation instead: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic, hereditary, chronic, life-long blood disease, with several short and long-term complications; most common of which are bouts of pain that last for hours, days or even weeks at a time; anaemia or low blood counts, and chronic tissue/organ damage
... in sickle cell patients, the bone marrow produces red blood cells whose lifespan is only 12 to 17 days instead of the usual 90 - 120 days. These short-lived red cells frequently change shape from the normal round (discoid) into the abnormal ‘sickle’ shape, and clump together forming blood clots, which block the tiny vessels that supply blood to various parts of the body, therefore leading to the bouts of pain that range from mild to excruciating. This disease is not a respecter of race, as it can affect persons of ANY race. However research shows it is more prevalent in persons with ancestors from the following places: Africa, India, Southern Greece, Southern Italy, and the Middle East...
...over 4 million out of the total estimated 150 million Nigerians have SCD.

A Word to the Wise ...
If you are a single adult, in fact, if you are a human being and you have reached puberty ... then read the following carefully: If you don’t know your genotype, put this book down right now and go to the nearest hospital or genotype-testing centre and get yourself tested (then come back and finish the book ☺). I’m serious! ... when you meet someone of the opposite sex who you think you even remotely like, believe me, the first question you should ask, after ‘what’s your name?’ is not ‘where are you from?’ but ‘what’s your genotype?’ ... ‘Oh come on’ you might be saying, ‘SCD can’t be that bad!’ Really? Please, permit me to enlighten you ...

Chapter 4: Growing Pains
Being a regular teenage girl is difficult enough what with having to juggle parents, periods, pimples and of course peer-pressure, but in my case I had one more ‘P’ thrown into that mix - you got it: PAIN! One particular experience comes to mind at this point in time. I forget the exact date, but the happenings I remember quite vividly …
I wake up mid-morning on a cold October day and I can tell this is going to be a loooong day. ‘Rise and Shine!’ … Let me rephrase that - in this case its ‘Rise and Whine!’ Oh my goodness, I feel as though every last bone in my hips and legs has just been shattered.
The year: 1994.
The Place: My mom’s bedroom.
The event: You got it - Another Crisis.
Clenching my teeth in order not to scream the house down, I slowly pull my legs up so my knees are bent and my feet are flat on the bed and then I discover it. At first I think I’m seeing things (which wouldn’t surprise me, this level of pain could send anyone insane) so I close my eyes and re-open them. Nope, it’s still there - unbelievable. So I yell “Mo-mmy!” and immediately my mom comes dashing into the room. I promptly inform her the following: “Mommy look, one leg has grown longer than the other.” At first I’m quite certain she thinks I’m suffering from pain-induced dementia, (who could blame her) but indulging me she takes a closer look and after a thorough inspection confirms my suspicions. In fact, believe it or not, the femur or thigh bone in my left thigh had ‘grown’ an inch and a half longer than that of my right thigh, overnight. ... Incredible.
So what happened next? Of course we were off to the hospital where I was promptly hooked up to ‘drip’ (intravenous fluids) and given very strong pain-relievers. For 2 weeks my legs felt like they belonged to someone or something else and after the pain was gone, there was the process of learning to walk properly all over again. (Needless to say all this time as is usual in crises, I’m missing school, which means TONS of make-up assignments and tests waiting for me when I return.) By the time I was able to return to school, I began to have severe backaches because I was now walking on un-even legs. This led to my having to carry a special chair with me to school in order to give my back proper support - as if I didn’t already have enough reasons for my schoolmates to make fun of me...


Chapter 9: A New Friend… and My Secret Medicine
My life was like a continuous series of wanderings through deep, damp, dark and seemingly unending tunnels. That was then, this is now! ... “What’s life like for me NOW?” Well, it’s just that – Life! I’m alive! I’m happy, and I don’t mean ‘lounging-around-eating-grapes-and-listening-to-the-birds-sing-while-staring-at-a-rainbow-in-the-beautiful-blue-skies’ kind of happy, I’m talking about real joy ... I’m optimistic, I’m full of hope and I’m not afraid of anything anymore ... I Am Free ... Well, what happened? I’m glad you asked. It’s simple really - I made a friend ...

_ _ _
Want to read the full story? ORDER YOUR COPY** TODAY!
**Copies available from January 31, 2011.

Official Book Launch Coming Soon!!!
For book copies, launch sponsorship and other enquiries contact:
InspiroLogos World Health Foundation (IWHF)
Email: inspirologosworld@yahoo.com
Phones: +234-7036799233, +234-8036687163, +234-8023499752

JEHOVAH IS HIS NAME!

Times without number I’ve been at death’s door,
My body so sick all I could do was lay on the floor;
As doctor after doctor, perplexed and confused,
Said we’ve tried all we know, you've even been transfused;
But I could hear the tremor in their voices, see the fear in their eyes,
They didn’t believe I’d make it, that’s what I realized;
So I cried out to my God, I said, “If Jehovah is Your name,
Come be Jehovah Rapha, and down He came!”
He picked me up, healed my body and then He set me free,
And I’d just like to tell you why He did this for me:

‘Cos He’s God and He is good, Jehovah Rapha is His name,
Cancer, Anaemia, AIDS, etcetera, to Him they’re all the same;
There’s no disease He cannot cure,
Of this I am certain, I’m absolutely sure;
When I was standing at death’s door, and the devil said “It’s over!”
I said “It's not over till i WIN!" ‘cos I know Jehovah!
Yesterday, today and forever, this God is the same,
He’s the almighty omnipotent King, and Jehovah is His name!

See there’ve been times when I couldn’t pay the rent,
Every dollar, dime and penny had all been spent;
The only food I had was the tears I shed as I lay down at night,
And even though I felt like giving up, I knew I just had to fight;
So I said “Lord, you fed the Israelites, for them you made a way;
You promised to supply all my needs, come be Jehovah Jireh today;”
And just when I thought it was too late, and that I’d lost this war,
You know what my God did? - He sent a check to my door!

‘Cos He’s God and He is good, Jehovah Jireh is His name,
There’s no need He can’t meet, abundant provision’s the ‘name of His game;’
Yes He’s Jehovah, rest assured, there’s no bill He can’t pay,
He’s God and I know, He will always make a way!
So whatever you face, whatever your need, be it great or small,
He’ll be your Jehovah as He is mine, and He’ll cover it all!
Yesterday, today and forever, He’s God, He stays the same,
He’s God all by Himself, and Jehovah is His name!