New publication name! Did you notice? Well, now you do. For better context since I know you’ll probably be getting this in your mail, this was called Golden Time Chronicles before. I just did a complete overhaul of my name everywhere and changed it to byWuraola, so wherever you see my works, you know they’re byWuraola ❤️.

How’re you doing? For me, I’ve been showing up for people as much as possible and it’s truly one of the best feelings in the world. I’ve also been rethinking this content creation thing a lot (I always do), but not from the point of view of this isn’t worth it, but from the angle of how I can better my content and actually build a community that engages. I’ve also been dealing with some difficult situations that have brought clarity and I’m actually so grateful to God for everything. I keep experiencing God in different ways and it’s just so beautiful. Obviously things haven’t been 100 all the time but even then, I’m super grateful to God.

Please reciprocate the energy and tell me how you are in the comments.

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The Bible story series has been super fun, but we’re done, for now. We might return sometime later this year, so feel free to tell me your favourite Bible characters so we can all read their stories.

Now that the housekeeping is done, I want to share a few things I have learned this year. I’ll probably make a carousel of it to post on socials, but I’ll share it here first. We’re over halfway through the year, and these are some of the things that have been on my mind a lot recently.

• Setting boundaries means you will lose some friends. That’s just a fact. You can’t expect things to remain the same when you set a boundary. The people who can’t adapt to the new way of life you’ve set will automatically drop off, and that’s very okay.

• The fruit of the Spirit should be more evident in our lives instead of the gifts. This one might be a hot take, but I’m genuinely tired of seeing people decide based on the gifting of the Spirit that a person is a true child of God. It just doesn’t work that way. The gifts of God are without repentance, (“For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”

  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭29‬ ‭NLT), so even when a person has refused to live a transformed life, chances are, they will still walk in the gifts of the Spirit. But the fruit, that should be the standard. (“You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?”

  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

  “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬, ‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬). I remember seeing on Mazino Malaka’s story once a question on why the church today seems to applaud Martha’s more than Mary’s. The people who seem to be doing the most are the ones applauded instead of those who genuinely love the Lord and won’t put up an act to show it.

• Hearing from God doesn’t absolve you of the responsibility to be wise and treat others right. This year, I’ve had to deal with a few people who claimed to hear from God, and then they tried to go about what they heard but in a way that hurt the people around them. I’ve even been in one situation and God had me apologize for my foolishness. I’m of the opinion that God truly values our relationships and friendships, and if we hear what to do from Him but forget to ask Him how to do it, it’s a recipe for disaster. “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”

  ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

  ““Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”

  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

• Being assertive helps you live a better life. Earlier this week, I was reflecting on how assertive I have become. I will most definitely stand up for myself no matter who the person is, if I feel like you’re infringing on my rights and peace. Before, I used to be super docile and take a lot of rubbish, but I think the boldness of the Lord has taken over me so much to a point where I will speak up. Everyone is avoiding a difficult situation? I’ll speak for all. I’m on the wrong bus after asking repeatedly if it was the right one? I’m standing up while it’s moving to ask to get off. No damsel in distress anywhere, just a girl with the boldness of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. “The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.”

  ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

• You will be the villain in some people’s stories. That’s understandable. It’s something my former people-pleasing self struggled to accept for a long time but now, I’m actually fine with it. Not everyone agrees with what you agree with, and to them, you’re the villain. If you keep bending rules so you can be friendly with everyone, you’re acting like shifting shadows. I read this clause somewhere, and it’s how I would describe you if you can’t uphold your values but want to be a hero in everyone’s story: as changeable as a weather vane. Please accept it and don’t try to be God in other people’s lives. “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.”

  ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

• If you’re reluctant to show up for certain people, it means they’re not as important to you as you thought. I believe the average person has issues with accepting that we can’t all be friends. Follow peace with all men(Hebrews 12:14), but be sure of the relationships that serve you and are more important to you before exerting yourself with everyone.

• If you’re truly strong in your faith, it’s not by theatrics. You don’t have to tell everyone or have a vision or word for everybody. That’s not what makes you truly saved or shows your growth as a believer. It’s not possible that you’re called to every single person, and not everyone will stand on an altar to preach. This is kinda specific because again, I’ve been seeing people use this as a marker. Some of us are truly content with just being in God’s presence and spending time with Him. Our gazes are too fixed on Him to be putting up an act before others. And if you use the act as a yardstick to listen to certain people and dismiss others, I pity you. You’ve probably lost the plot and you need to focus on Jesus again. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What are your thoughts on these? Are there some things you’ve been learning too that you want to share with others? Please leave a comment. I love to read it. God bless you❤️.

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“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Wuraola,

ByWuraola💕.

Jesus Alert! Please listen to the voice note first🫶🏽.

Today’s newsletter is special for so many reasons. First, I recorded you a voice note🤭. It’s more or less whisper mode and I have hints of an accent, both because I was at work and couldn’t speak up, and code switching is not that easy to turn off😂.

Second, today makes it 5 years since I died to sin and became alive in Christ through baptism by immersion and my faith is really my anchor. That’s why I’m sharing today’s newsletter with you, to tell you about what keeps me grounded and the hope I have that has changed everything for me.

Finally, I’m now a business owner🥳! I can’t believe it either, and this has been one of the scariest things I’ve done in a long time. Weird how every time I have to put myself out there, I get so scared, but I post on my socials every week😂. But I have a curated gift box business now. I give God all the glory!

Jesus had resurrected now, after being put to death by the Jews, and He had gathered all the disciples together. They were all with Him, except Judas Iscariot, and they were listening to Him speak, for what was eventually the last time they would hear His voice physically. He told them to sit and stay in Jerusalem, and to wait for the Promise of the Father,

“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV

And now, the disciples had a question for Him, a question that showed what the Jews believed would happen when the Saviour comes, and probably why they didn’t realize it was Him while He was with them.

“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

For context, the Jews were at this time under the Roman Empire, and the reign of the Romans was, in a way I would say, akin to the colonization a lot of countries experienced. I would even say it was worse. The only hope the Jews had was of a Messiah, who would come and save them from the rule of the Romans. And so, when Jesus came and He was not interested in making war with the Romans and giving the kingdom back to Israel, they were really confused and thought there was no way He could be the Messiah they had been waiting for.

It’s easy to judge them, but I’ve found myself expecting a Messiah nowadays more than ever before. It feels like the world is crumbling before our eyes, and because I know the word of God, I know it only gets worse. How do children get kidnapped and a whole government doesn’t even so much as make a statement about it? How do parents prioritize themselves so much that they decide to abort a child because the child was diagnosed with a disability and they wanted to do what would benefit their family in the long run? When did we become so selfish as a society? Who can fix us and fix our world?

After they asked this question, Jesus gave them an answer:

“And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV

And here, this right here is the assurance we have. The Jesus who ascended into heaven is returning, and with even more glory. And this time, He will come and take back the kingdoms of this world and rule, and be under the rule of God.

“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭24‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV

That’s the liberation and the kingdom promised, and the one we hold on to so tightly. That’s the one I’m asking you to look to. The truth is that, a good world right now is only a foreshadowing of the one to come, the beautiful one we will have when Jesus returns and rules. But how do we get access to that kingdom when Jesus comes, because not everyone will be a part of it?

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The way to be a part of the kingdom is by confessing Jesus as Lord, and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. There are so many promises, and seemingly temporary fixes, but nothing can truly free us like the power of Jesus. I didn’t think the newsletter was going to take this turn today, but I really want everyone to be hopeful again, and not just hopeful about the temporary fixes that the people of this world might offer, but of the final and only fix needed, the one that Jesus offers.

My words are not perfect, and I’m not a preacher, but I really hope this blessed you. Consider sharing it with your friends and your siblings and everyone else.

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I love you all, but Jesus loves you even more,

Wuraola ❤️

— — —

It’s pitch black. This isn’t what heaven is supposed to look like is it? Wait, someone is hugging me. What’s happening? Everything is starting to clear up again. Wait, this is the three storey’s roof. Who’s hugging me? Is that the Apostle? Apostle Paul? Am I alive? I’m alive!! I didn’t die! Oh, praise Jesus!

— — —

We were told that the Apostle’s ship was arriving! I was so excited. We had heard so many things about the Apostle and I was so excited to meet him finally! His salvation story is the grandest one I’ve heard. Jesus Himself had blinded his eyes for three days before Ananias had been sent to open them. The best part of the whole thing is this: he was on his way to seek more help in persecuting more of us Christians but He had instead met with Jesus on the way. What a story!

I made my way to the meeting room, on the second floor of a three storey building. There was hardly any room, so I sat on the windowsill to get a good view of the Apostle. We had the Lord’s Supper, and then, Paul began to talk. He preached to us about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, the Great Commission, the implication of our faith, and He was now talking about how people should act towards one another, specifically married people. I was so sleepy, having had a really long day, and I felt I could just doze off. I did, but I forgot one thing: I was sitting on the windowsill!

— — —

The Apostle and I made our way upstairs, and my mother pulled me into a very warm embrace. I knew she was going to keep referring to it the next time I overslept, but for now, she was glad I was alive, as I was too. We continued in the Lord’s Supper again and spoke till it was morning. Then the Apostle left.

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When I was thinking of who to write about today, I knew I wanted a story from the New Testament. And then, on the bus, I felt like I wanted to write about Eutychus. Nobody ever really talks about Eutychus, and I wanted to dismiss the thought, thinking there wasn’t really a lot to learn, but there are actually lessons in Eutychus’s story.

His story is found in Acts of the Apostles 20: 9-12.

I think subconsciously I had thought of his story this past week while listening to a sermon where it was mentioned that he was the only one whose raising back to life didn’t involve a woman, and the preacher jokingly said it was the most boring raising to life story in the Bible😂. I wanted to write it from his POV to see what the story is like, and this is my version of it. I believe women make everything better 🤭, so I added a woman’s touch to it. Of course, this is all fiction and shouldn’t take the place of what you see in your Bible, so please, go and read your Bible!

Now, the lessons. First, I would say that it shows that sheer determination and will are sometimes not enough to keep us in the presence of God. You want to be there, but it’s just not happening. Like Eutychus, one day, you sleep, and then you somehow can’t get yourself to spend time with God again or go to church or do something no matter how hard you try. But just like Paul had to raise him to life again, the Holy Spirit is there to help you get up and continue. It was never about our willpower or determination. It has always been about the grace of God.

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The second thing is how Eutychus was sitting on a windowsill, despite knowing he had issues with sleeping. He was bound to fall asleep at any point and fall to his death, which is exactly what happened to him. But to us, we might not be sitting on a literal windowsill. We might knowingly be susceptible to some form of sin or the other, and putting ourselves in areas where we can easily fall into temptation which eventually leads to sin. You’re prone to stealing, but you want to work with money. Your faith is not strong enough, but you hang around a lot of people with strange ideologies that make you question your faith. Please, wisdom is profitable to direct. (Ecclesiastes 10:10). Get off that windowsill today.

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I hope that these stories are not just fun adaptations of stories you’ve seen in the Bible, but that you’re actually seeing them through the lens of your life. There’s always something or the other to pick from every story, so please, let them be a call to look inward. And I pray that the Spirit of truth will reveal the truths in these stories to you, and help you apply what is necessary to your life.

Thank you for reading, my loves. And welcome to my new readers! I’m so excited to have you here. You broke my streak of 365 readers after a long time and I’m really excited about that😂. I was starting to say I have a reader for each day but now that has changed and I’m very happy about that. Please share this newsletter with your friends, and even your enemies. A little good might just be all they need, y’know. You’re now my loves, so welcome to the family!

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I love you all,

Wuraola 💕.

I sat down among the ashes, taking note of the new boils that had sprung up on my body. This strange misfortune was getting even worse. I was extra grateful for the piece of pottery I had found and was using to scratch the itches. Earlier that day, my wife and I had had an argument about my current state. I mean, I couldn’t blame her for thinking that cursing God was the only option left. Death seemed more pleasant than my current state to be honest. But, I can’t do that to my God. He has done so many good things for me, giving me a really good life, and now when things are going south, should I not accept them as I had the good things?

The sound of wailing and robes tearing jolted me up from my deep thinking. I saw my friends approaching me from a distance. I was so grateful to have them with me in my troubles. Words cannot describe the relief I felt, just seeing them. My wife’s pessimistic stance about things didn’t make her good company, but at least my friends would understand. They sat down and said nothing, joining me in my misery, which is exactly what I needed.

After 7 days of this horrible calamity, I couldn’t keep it in anymore. It would have been better if I wasn’t even born! And so, I started cursing the day I was born. If this was supposed to be how my life ended, why then was I even allowed to live this long? I don’t blame the Lord, don’t get me wrong. I just wish I didn’t have to go through this, and not being born would’ve helped a great deal. I said my piece and went back to silently looking towards heaven.

I was barely two minutes in when Eliphaz shouted at me to keep quiet! I looked up, stunned. He went on and on, and a few words into his speech, he confirmed my fears: Eliphaz didn’t think I was innocent! I was stunned. I thought for sure that if anyone knew I was innocent, it was my friends. Looking into the eyes of the others, I could tell that they agreed with Eliphaz. I had thought they had come to sympathise with me and share in my misery, but all they had come to do was point accusing fingers at me! This felt worse than the pain of the boils on my skin. I felt so defeated.

In response, I said, “One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty. You, too, have given no help. You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid. But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift? Have I begged for anything of yours for myself? Honest words can be painful, but what do your criticisms amount to? Do you think your words are convincing when you disregard my cry of desperation? Look at me! Would I lie to your face? Stop assuming my guilt, for I have done no wrong. Do you think I am lying? Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong?”

‭‭Job‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬, ‭21‬-‭22‬, ‭25‬-‭26‬, ‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of people and make friends with other people of God, but I’ve been feeling the urge to talk about how dismissive a lot of us get of our feelings and the feelings of others. In aiming for the supernatural, we have forgotten how to flourish in the natural state we’ve been given.

I was having a conversation with my friend, about how a lot of us mask everything we’re going through with the famous words, “It is well.” It’s almost as though we’ve been conditioned to say it. But I also don’t blame us, because some of the times I’ve felt comfortable enough to share how I felt or what I was going through, I was either accused of challenging God’s authority, or met with a half hearted “God will work it out.”

The second is true, but a lot of people seem to lack the emotional intelligence to know how to deal with people’s pain and feelings. You don’t preach those away. They’re valid. And for the love of all things good, whenever someone shares how they feel the need to question God whenever they go through a traumatic experience, it is never your place to tell them not to! God knows what we’re going through. He’s the Man of Sorrows after all. Which of these feelings has Jesus not gone through? Sadness, loss, grief, uncertainty, He went through it all, and He came out victorious. I don’t know about you, but that tells me that He’s the best Person to ask all my questions.

Of course I’m not asking you to question God’s sovereignty, but you get to know God and His ways more when you sit with your feelings and ask Him questions. He might answer, or He might not, but one thing He will always do is give you comfort. And if you’re one of those people who villainize others for having certain feelings you think are not acceptable, maybe this is what you needed to hear. Don’t be an Eliphaz.

The Bible is clear about how we should deal with those going through tough times, “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s learn to be better friends, and stop trying to seem deeper or super spiritual when all people need is a friend to hold them and lead them to the Father with their feelings. Remember Jesus had feelings too. He wept when Lazarus died, even when He knew what was going to happen next. He did it because the people around were weeping too. Let’s try to be compassionate.

God bless you my loves❤️. Today’s story is the story of Job and his friends, found in the book of Job.

Then followed the ear piercing scream and all that came after it. The men were bawling their eyes out.

“Will I never see my son again?”

“I just bought a new herd of cattle!”

Grown warriors were in tears because of their losses, and I joined them too. My two wives were also gone. These Amalekites! What’s worse, we had been turned back from the war we were to be a part of, so our leaving was seemingly pointless.

“Down with you! This is all your fault!“ Someone screamed in my direction. I cleaned my tears quickly and listened as my men made plots to stone me. What?! And then I remembered. I remembered how the king had so often tried to kill me too. Guess who kept rescuing me. You’re right: Yahweh did. And when I had to face the lion, the bear and the giant, I never died, because the Lord is with me. I called on the Lord who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies. (Psalm 18:3)

“Bring me the ephod!” The priest, Abiathar, hurriedly brought it to me. “Should I chase after them, Lord? Will I catch them?” I asked. I definitely wasn’t going to do anything if the Lord said not to. In His mercy, Yahweh responded immediately.

“Yes, go after them. You will definitely recover all that was taken from you!”

That was all I needed to hear. The men stood up with me, men of war, and we marched on to recover all that we had lost. And yes, we did recover, and even had some more plunder to enjoy!

Today’s story is pretty short, but it can be found in the book of 1 Samuel 30. David and his men had taken refuge in the Philistine town of Ziklag, and the Philistine king, Achish, had asked them to join him to fight against Israel and King Saul. The other Philistine commanders protested, and David and his men were sent back. While all of these was going on, the Amalekites raided Ziklag and captured the women and children and all the livestock of David and his men, and set their towns on fire.

Verse 6 is the verse that prompted me to write this story.

“David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭30‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT

I remember I used to read this verse as a child in school as our memory verse, and it was pretty fascinating to me that a person wasn’t bothered by the fact that he was probably going to be stoned. He still found strength and encouraged himself in the Lord. No matter the situation, God is ready and available to encourage us if we just let ourselves be encouraged.

No, this is not me pretending to have a perfect life. If anything, I have a melancholic temperament which means I always tend to be in my head and stay there with pessimistic thoughts, but I’m learning not to stay there so much and accept the comfort and joy that Jesus gives. He’s the Man of Sorrows after all.

So this is my encouragement to you: look beyond the circumstances and remember all that the Lord represents to you. He’s the source of true joy so even if the situation doesn’t seem like something to be joyful about, make a conscious decision today to encourage yourself in the Lord. It’s difficult and painful and impractical, but trust me, it’s the best decision.

I love you and I’m rooting for you,

Wuraola❤️

I felt strength in my foot and ankles. What was happening? I looked up at the man helping me up. His face carried an expression of authority, like he knew exactly what he was doing. I tried doing that thing I had seen people do, jumping, and I could. Oh, I could! I’m standing. Me!

I put one foot in front of another. I didn’t wobble or fall to the ground. I placed the second feet in front of the first again. I was still standing. And then I did it again. And again. And I was walking! I started doing a combination of walking and leaping, and I started singing praises to Yahweh. I had heard of miracles, especially the ones Jesus the Nazarene had performed while He was alive.

Wait! These men mentioned His name! Could it be?!

“Glory to Yahweh! Glory to God!” I was so eager and excited to enter into the Temple to worship God properly, and I saw everyone staring at me. That’s right! I needed everyone to know what a great miracle had taken place. I was walking! I was leaping! It was indeed a miracle!

To think it had felt like everything was going wrong that morning. The people who were supposed to carry me to the Beautiful Gate hadn’t shown up till 2:30 pm. I had already lost a morning’s worth of begging, and I was already preparing to beg as much as I could. That’s why I reached out to these two Galileans, hoping they had something for me. In retrospect, I think something about them drew me in and I just had to ask them, but I had thought it was because they were wealthy and could afford to give me a lot.

One of the men spoke to me. He said, “Look at us.” He had a much tougher demeanour than the other man. I looked at him, expecting him to size me up like others did before they dropped a few quadrans or semis into my bowl. I was hoping the guys would give me a denarius at least, so I put on a pitiful expression as I looked at them.

But the tough guy only said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” And yes, that brings me back to the beginning.

I had heard of miracles far too many times, but I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I had been crippled from birth, looked upon with scorn, and had had to beg to get by every single day. The Sabbaths were difficult days for me because I couldn’t work on the Sabbath, but now I can walk and work! This Jesus of Nazareth sounds like He was a cool guy. That’s why I followed tough guy and gentle guy into the Temple to learn more about Him. But I would never hide the truth. God healed me, so I’ll tell the whole world what He did. I was the man at the Beautiful Gate, now I’m a walking, leaping, praise filled testimony.

Hi my loves,

I used to write adaptations of Bible stories when I first started my blog, and it was a really good way for me to meditate on the stories I have read over and over since I was a child. I could picture how these people felt and relate to them instead of just reading it as a story.

I recently finished reading the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, and Hadassah’s character is the daughter of the widow’s son that Jesus raised in Luke 7:11-17. I really loved it, so I decided to bring back the stories. I hope you’re able to identify with these stories and truly see beyond the entertaining parts.

If you want to read adaptations of the stories of specific Bible characters as well, don’t hesitate to drop a comment or reach out to me. I’d love to adapt your favourite characters’ stories.

I love you all, and I pray that your eyes of understanding be enlightened,

Wuraola✨

How are you doing? It’s the last day in January already. Can you believe it? The new year is not exactly new anymore. This is your sign to get up and work on those resolutions if you had any, and work on becoming the person you dreamt of being at the end of the year. I hope January treated you well❤️.

You probably saw the title and that drew your attention. I didn’t exactly plan to write about this till yesterday when a few things happened and it was too difficult to ignore. As I prepared to go to work, I silently decided that I wasn’t going to ignore the nudge anymore. So yes, another vulnerable post alert!

I was talking to my sister earlier this week about one of her childhood friends I found on social media. We had already talked, and then I remembered after so I decided to call her again to tell her. To me, it was harmless and I was just letting her know that I had seen someone she knew. Not harmful, right? Well, the conversation shifted to how she’s not on social media because people would be gossiping about her. I felt like someone slapped me across the face. I asked, “Gossiping?!” She said yes, and asked what I thought what I was doing was. I thought I was just telling her the news of how the person now appears to be successful and relaying some things they had said in their videos to her. She then goes ahead to tell me that the only person she speaks to as a friend is a good Christian person who wouldn’t gossip about her.

If the previous line didn’t have the same effect it had on me on you, then, I don’t know what to say. I was visibly shocked and I had to end the call as soon as possible to ask God if I was truly gossiping. Then I realised my conscience was in fact attesting to it. Then I said I wasn’t going to do it again. However, I didn’t realise how receptive I had become to gossip till something happened yesterday. I mentioned something and someone’s reaction was so strong, I found myself telling them to say what was on their mind. And I heard what was on their mind. And I was mute for a while because I felt so bad that I had let this come out and now I felt the need to respond. As I left there, I was imagining how I would feel if I were spoken of in a bad light in my absence and people reacted to me in a weird way when they saw me because they had heard some cheap gossip about me. If you’re like me, you wouldn’t like that.

I wish I could say that was all, but as I opened YouTube to unwind as I ate my lunch just before my work started, I saw a video on my YouTube feed: How Smart People Escape Gossip Traps. Well, it was very clear now that God was trying to get my attention. So I watched the video. And I knew that this was something to be worked on and prayed about from now on.

The worst part about gossip in my opinion is how it leaves you, the gossip, feeling after it. If you ignore that feeling over a long time, it fades away and you get desensitised. But I think we should all stop to consider how we would feel if the roles were reversed and we were the ones being spoken about. A rule of thumb I will be embracing going forward is: “if they’re not there, I won’t say it.” Before, it used to be, “if I can’t say it to their face, I won’t say it,” but the truth is, we could imagine that we can say it to their face when they’re not there but once we see them in person, we realise we actually can’t.

“Don’t say anything that would hurt ⌞another person⌟. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭29‬ ‭GW‬‬

Yes, gossiping is a sin. And yes, we are expected to live without sin. It’s absolutely possible. The best part is, we don’t have to do it alone! The Holy Spirit is our helper in all things, even on this one too. I pray that we continue to accept His help. God bless you❤️.

Till next time,

Wuraola💕

Good tidings and happy new year to you. I’m so excited to be back and I know I should’ve written last week but I honestly have been questioning a lot of things. I truly need more people who engage with what I do to give me constructive criticism but before then, I’ll keep showing up. I said I didn’t want the most part of this newsletter to be about me this year, and I’m hoping we could have some fiction here and there sometime. I’m also intentionally letting go of my on camera persona to truly lean into the person you’ll meet if you ever saw me in real life. That’s all the updates❤️.

I hope you had a really fantastic new year celebration. I hope you started the year with God. I also hope that your year is truly going well so far. I started the year very sick but I knew that this wasn’t going to be just another year for me. I had an awakening about the fact that this is my “real life” and the only life I have so it’s up to me to make it one for the books. How has life been for you recently?

To achieve that, I have realised that there are so many people around me who have contributed/keep contributing to the person I pray to be. I’m sure you have those people too: the person who recognised your singing ability when you were 6, the friend who keeps telling you you can’t give up and keeps motivating you with the way they live their lives, your favourite celebrity whose videos you watch over and over again to remind yourself that anything is possible. The list goes on. The older I get, the fuller the list becomes and I honestly can’t guarantee that I remember everyone. These people, whether in a good or bad way, have all contributed to the person you are today.

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I probably sound like a broken record now because I keep talking about how we need people to do life with but you’ll be surprised by how many people know this but don’t truly allow this to be the order of day in their lives. I unknowingly do this sometimes too. Something is difficult? My first instinct is to do more by myself, not to ask for help. I know these truths, but are they truly my reality? The biggest lie you can tell yourself is that you can do all things yourself. That’s a lie. An important part of adulting is knowing when to take the L and change things around. This year, we’re not lying to ourselves about anything. We are active learners; we learn something, and we apply it to our lives.

Let others help you. It could be the reason they’re in your life in the first place. Life doesn’t have to be so difficult because it was never meant to be done alone. I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts, Under the Bed, when I got the idea for today’s newsletter. We live in a world where everyone is so concerned about themselves and they want to be alone. The lockdown only made things worse. We’ve become so self absorbed that attending physical gatherings now feels like a chore to us. We prefer to have a chat with ChatGPT instead of speaking to actual people. By the way, I’m looking to start an AI ethics series soon and I’m trying to decide whether or not to extend it to the newsletter as well. Let me know if you want it.

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“All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.”

‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I really hope that this newsletter resonates with you. Happy new year, and may this year be everything we prayed for. Amen.

Wúràolá❤️.

I’m sorry. No seriously, I am. I totally disappeared on Saturday, no explanation, no nothing. It’s been a really busy time of the year for me, and I somehow forgot I was supposed to write to you all on Saturday. I’m so sorry, oh, so sorry. I spent the little free time I had indulging in some brain rot on TikTok 😭. I usually cringe but the Grinch? If you haven’t seen any of his videos, you need to. You’ll laugh!

I recently started thinking about the future of this newsletter, and I don’t know if I want it to be just be about me and my rants about my life experiences. I know it’s been like that since the beginning, but I don’t think it has to continue that way. I’ve seen my reads and views drop progressively over the year, and it’s not been the most encouraging thing ever. This decision also has totally nothing to do with the fact that Claude AI absolutely roasted my newsletter 🥲(I’m not crying, you are!).

That said, do you have any suggestions on how you would like this to go? I fully intend to start an AI literacy series on my social media pages, and also focus on actually busting adulting myths, and if there’s any room for that on here, I’d love to know your thoughts. A lot of you also really liked the Bible stories one I shared the other day, so creative writing is also something I would love to explore. If any of these ideas resonate with you, or you have something entirely different in mind, please feel free to let me know. You can leave your thoughts in the comments, or you could also respond to this email with another email. You can also text me on any of my social media platforms.

2025 is coming to an end, and I must say, I’m super grateful for all of you. You stuck with me, and even when I was clearly losing my mind, you were here to listen. I can’t thank God enough for you❤️. Like Apostle Paul said (in an entirely different context but still applicable,)

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT

This is my final newsletter to you this year, and as we wrap up, I want you to reflect. I personally have had so many things go well for me this year, it has to be the finger of God in my life. This month has especially been full of testimonies, even more so the past few days, and it’s like God saying He won’t leave anything behind in this year that I’m supposed to get. Things keep happening and I just can’t deny God’s goodness. If you know me, you probably know that I’m not the most optimistic person on the block, but when things like this happen, it’s like a reminder that my tomorrow is alright and all is well with me. So sit down, and don’t be scared to let your mind wander, and think of the goodness of Jesus. He has really been good.

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Goodbye to you all, and remember that in 2026, we’re going all out for our dreams and using rejection as a stepping stone.

I love you, and happy new year,

Wuraola💕

How’re you doing? It feels weird to be writing to you on a Friday night (you’re getting this on Saturday haha) but y’know😂. Shoutout to the person that bullied me into writing tonight to you, because I already planned to skip this weekend.

Yes, as you probably guessed, it’s finals season which means that I’ve been on a robotic schedule for days now. I’m really sleepy but the caffeine in my system doesn’t care about that. On the bright side, I’d have been consistently writing to you every two weeks for over a year by the time you read this. It feels so surreal 🥹.

Let me give you a bit of an origin story. For those of you who joined in the last year or two, I’m super grateful you’re here! I started this “blog” back in 2021 on Wordpress. I’ve always written, which isn’t news to you I hope, and I wanted to digitally document my writings. And then in 2022, my aunty did something I won’t forget in a hurry. She got me my own website 🥹! I unfortunately couldn’t find the website because it’s no longer hosted online. I did, however, find my Wordpress site. Check this out:

Oh hi! I guess it’s my turn to share my story. Um, I’ll be honest about things. I am a prostitute, but I was forced into it. Don’t judge me, okay? I have quite a large family, and guess who is being forced to take care of everyone. You guessed right, me! I had no other choice or option, and so this is what I do for a living.

“Heyyyyy, there are two men at the door. Won’t you let them in?” My aunt tells me. I sigh and get dressed. I was getting tired of this disgraceful life and I just wanted to be free. I open the door with a smile, and see two men who look like they are Israelites. Their terrified faces and agitated expressions only confirm my suspicion. But what exactly do they want?

I ask them to come in and they do just that. I offer them bread and wine, out of the depleting supply we have at home. They are grateful and show it to me. We start talking and they tell me all about their God, and how He has been doing amazing things in their clan. I was fascinated, and I have to tell you; the way the God of the Israelites dealt with Pharaoh and his people was downright funny. They tell me how their fathers wandered in the wilderness for another 40 years, just because they did not believe in God. I knew at that point that I was never going to become an enemy to these people.

We hear another knock and my aunt goes to spy for me as usual. This time, she looks white. She mouths to me, “The King’s soldiers” and I know we are in big trouble. I hurriedly take the men up to my roof and make the whole place comfortable for them to hide in. I look down to see the soldiers still knocking frantically, about to kick the door open. I rush back to them and pretend like I was woken up from sleep.

“Greetings from the King. His Royal Highness has ordered that you release the Israelites under your roof to him so he can deal with them accordingly. Do not dare to defy the orders of the King.” It’s in situations like this that I’m very grateful for my experience with men. I school my facial expression into an innocent and honest one and tell them that the men left a long time ago. I ask them to search the house if they didn’t believe me and they did just like I had expected. Unable to find anything out of place, they leave.

I quickly run to meet the men, and give them directions on how to escape back to their camp. They thank me profusely and ask me what I want in return. I don’t think twice before asking them to spare my family when they take over the city the next day. They instruct me to leave the rope I had given them to escape with outside my window so they’d know which house was mine. After another round of thank you’s, they finally leave.

Finally, it’s today the Israelites are coming to take over Jericho. I wake my family, and we pack our things in preparation for the escape. I am particularly very excited. The freedom I had craved for so long was finally here! We stand by the window and watch something really amazing happen.

Insert Jericho by Paul Tomisin.

The Israelites march round the walls of Jericho 7 times! For the past 6 days, they had marched round the walls silently and only once. Today however, they march round 7 times, and then, a trumpet is blown. The people give a shout of Hallelujah, and the most fascinating thing anyone has ever seen begins to happen.

The walls start to crumble! Don’t look at me like that. I am, scratch that, I was a harlot, not a liar. And I’m not a harlot anymore. I’m free from whoredom, finally. The Israelites capture the city, and the two men come in and save me and my family! The whole experience still feels like a dream to me. I am free! I am FREE!!!

Who am I though? How don’t you know me! Are you joking? I am Rahab, duh, the same one of the lineage of Jesus. That’s not how this line is supposed to go though so we’ll take it again from the top. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

My name is Rahab, and I was set free by God. My story can be found in Joshua Chapter 2.

Till I come your way again,

The Golden girl .

This post was written on March 26, 2022. I hope it blesses you today.

If you’re interested in reading some more, you can check them out here.

It’s always amazing to have a glimpse of where you’ve come from. It gives you so many reasons to be grateful. I’m a little distracted, so I’ll be ending this newsletter here. Thank you for sticking with me. Let me know if you want more of the Bible stories and we’ll have more in 2026.

Merry Christmas in advance 🥳❤️!

Wuraola❤️.

How are you doing? I hope you had a really great past two weeks and life is going well for you. What have you learned? As for me, I’m learning to be more grateful. It’s been so humbling realizing all the many ways I’ve been such an ingrate to God. Instead of saying thank you, I would usually complain about how it’s not what I want. I don’t want to be that person anymore. It’s miserable. I’ve been praying for a heart like David’s, that gives thanks in everything. That’s the person I want to be.

I thank God for the past two weeks. We had Prophetic Prayer Conference here in PEI, and it was a really amazing experience. I really needed that conference because I’ve been showing up from a place of frustration and confusion for the longest time. I’m actually looking for budget ways to unwind this winter break so if you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them. People have also mentioned my newsletter and it makes me so happy. This little writing corner I started in 2021 has grown so much and I’m so grateful to God.

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT

Today’s newsletter is on a topic that I feel like I’ve mentioned before but never really talked about as much as I want to. I actually knew what I was going to be writing about on Monday which rarely ever happens. My friend was making my hair and we were talking and she just suggested I write about it and that was the push I need. We’re talking about Death.

As a child of God and believer in Jesus, I learned very early that death is not the end; it’s only a pause that should be celebrated if the person died in Christ. It’s nice knowing that, but some days I just sit down and think about how this “pause” could affect much of our living quality if we let it.

Perhaps, my first greatest encounter with death was when my grandmother died. Before then, people had been dying but I wasn’t close to them so I didn’t really care (no offence). But my grandma was my best friend 😂. She literally was my childhood. She was the one who was always there when my parents weren’t, and we even slept in the same room at some point. I saw her the morning before she slipped into the coma that took her on the pause😂, and she seemed fine. I remember the morning’s events very well. It was April 29th, 2016. She delayed my siblings and I on our way to school, calling us back as we made to leave to say goodbye.

About two weeks before that, she had jokingly told my aunty that she felt like her body was going home. My mom overheard her on the call and kinda reprimanded her for making a joke like that. She had a shop(or kiosk) right in front of our house and she was there when she slept. Someone noticed and called my parents.

By the time my siblings and I got back from school (very weird school day by the way because my siblings and I were telling one another how it was such a bad day because we kept having headaches), everyone was home. We wanted to say hi to our grandma because that’s what we did every time we got back from school, but her shop was locked. If you knew my grandma, you knew one thing: her shop was NEVER locked. We then knew that something had happened. We entered the house, saw everyone and just went to her room. And I saw her, sleeping. She looked so peaceful. Then the people around told us that she was in a coma. They took her to the hospital, transferred her to another hospital, and then she died 10 days later, on May 8th 2016.

I don’t just have a vivid memory, it’s just one that has been replayed in my mind over and over. I remember when I went to the hospital to visit her. I was in tears but she looked so peaceful. Between then and now, I’ve seen people die so many times that it started to feel so weird. I was telling my friend how earlier that day, I was just realizing that I won’t see my dad’s sister who died last year again, won’t be able to visit her when I go to Nigeria and sit outside her house and play ludo😂. It’s such a weird feeling. I had said that I didn’t understand how I really won’t be able to find her anywhere in the land of the living anymore. We had also learned about the book of life and living in Sunday school the day before so I actually had a bit of clarity.

These two people, to the best of my knowledge, died in Christ. And I was supposed to rejoice when they died, knowing that I was going to see them on the resurrection morning. However, some days just make me miss them so much and I can’t understand why they can’t just be somewhere where I can just reach out to them and hear their voices again. I don’t want that though, please and thank you😂. But I really hope you get the point I’m trying to pass across. It’s how strange death feels, and how the world just seems to go on after someone dies.

I didn’t know how this newsletter was going to end, but if you can relate to this, it’s a reminder to you to live your life knowing that if Jesus doesn’t return before then, you’ll die, so make sure you live well, such that people will keep remembering you for years to come. Let’s not forget the important part though: only a death in Christ brings joy and hope. One outside of Christ just brings pain and sadness because there’s no hope of seeing the person ever again. If you’re asking yourself, “what if Jesus isn’t truly the answer?”, I can take you through a million theological proofs to the best of my knowledge, but what if He is? Wouldn’t it be better to just accept Him and be saved, than ignore Him and realize that He was really the truth this entire time?

Just believe in your heart that He is the way, the truth and the life, and confess with your mouth that you believe in Him, and you will be saved. It’s literally free and it doesn’t require you to do anything else, other than to accept. And if for some reason you can’t seem to believe, just like the father of the demon possessed boy in Mark 9:24, ask Him to help your unbelief and He will.

“For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT.

This is definitely one of my longer newsletters, and I apologize if you never wanted to read this long. It’s all part of adulting, accepting that life is going to happen and we need to know how to respond when it does. May the peace of God flood our hearts and minds❤️.

I love you, but Jesus loves you more 💕.

Wuraola🫶🏽.

How’re you doing this cold morning? I mean it’s cold and morning here but how’re you doing today wherever in the world you are? For me, a lot has happened and is happening. I finally have my family visiting me after all this time and I’m just grateful to God that this is happening, you know? Trybe 1520 Virtual Bootcamp is also wrapping up and for my first time being a facilitator, I believe my students did really well. Thank You Jesus! School is applying the heat and pressure already, but my name is Wura (Gold); I know a lot about heat and pressure.

When I picked up my device to type out today’s newsletter, I didn’t know what to write, but something that happened recently popped up in my mind, and I wanted to share. I can’t tell you the full details of what it was, but I just recognised that God has put some very intentional people in my corner. When I mean intentional, I mean ones who I can talk about the Lord with, and ones who really look out for me. For the first time, I truly feel like I don’t have to do life alone and it’s a really great feeling.

Only a few people know what I go through in every season, and when they do, they ask me how I’m still smiling. Jesus gives me strength, but I also have a form of escapism where I detach myself from the situation, and it’s not the best. I once told my friend that I felt like I was in a simulation, and it’s a constant feeling. But I’ve since realised that God has strategically placed some people around me who I can share my burdens with, and who share theirs with me too.

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT

Intentional friends - May we have them, and may we be them. 

I almost feel like I don’t have anything more to write about, because I would usually come from the POV of the doer, but today, I’m the done to. So maybe we can talk about the reception. How do you receive help when you’ve been so used to doing things yourself?

Don’t expect the acceptance to be easy. There’s a certain level of vulnerability that comes with realizing that you can’t do anything by yourself, and having to admit that to others so they can help you. It’s humbling. But just take each day as it comes. As much as you feel like you can, talk about how you feel. There’s always a solution, but sometimes, it’s not in your hands. And pray too.

1That’s the literal two cents I have for you today. I pray that the Spirit of God breathes life on these words, and give you an understanding far greater than I could attempt to as you read. Amen🙏🏽.

Till next time,

Wuraola✨.

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