Hey guys,
I am SUPER EXCITED to share this story with yawl because I feel like SOMETIMES, we hear only the pretty stuff, and then when we hit toughies, we think WHY ME, or worse still, WHY ONLY ME!!! You see hun, we are ALL working out this salvation, and there are highs and lows to the journey, even without us doing nothing wrong, or right.
That’s just what it is. I pray this encourages MANY someones…
Ok, so I knew I was going to share my Powwow 3.0 story right after Powwow, and then I now see this list, and my name is up in there as one of the 100 most influential Christians in Nigeria and I am like haha…
It fits right into my story, and how our identity should be fixed on ONE thing, and that is IN CHRIST and nothing else, Not lows, and certainly not highs.
So I held my very first Powwow with E’ in December 2016 and my goodness, people started paying literally from Day 1 to the D-day.
Had my friends and even someone I barely knew sponsor Chicks, of which we had MORE paying Chicks than those who were sponsored. The event paid COMPLETELY for itself, plus honorarium, and I had some good cash left over. I was like YAAAAS God, this is HOW we roll, haha.
Powwow 2.0 for stay at home mamas was free
and so it was a JOY to me that I could bring out 100s of thousands to be a blessing to people, especially looking at where babe was last year. Kai!!! I felt so honored and excited to even spend my money, plus we got the craziest testimonies afterwards. I’m like YAAAS I was born to powwow haha.
The Powwow 3.0 came, and I did all the right things as was led by God,
and after ALL my publicity, I had A WHOLE THREE people register, and I think a cumulative of 5 Chicks inquire.
Errr, excuse me Jesus, what is going on here?
He even gave ma a WORD for it, and that didn’t mean THREE Chicks. A whole ME!!! E’, the Super CoachE’. Haha. Then I was bringing Stephanie Obi who talks and talks about how if people are not coming or patronizing you, you must be doing something wrong, and devil will tell me how she will use my ‘sorry story’ to send those her emails, and so on.
Like, yawl, the Chatterbox was ON FLEEK. Nothing the enemy didn’t drop in my heart, but ah, it was a battle, and thank God for my Christian Shrink, in my accountability partner, Aijay. I could share with her and be sure of encouragement. Anyways, Friday before Sunday, I still had just THREE chicks and, God sees my heart, I really wanted to go right ahead and do it, maybe change location so that I move the hall deposit to another date for a later Powwow, but I spoke to my hubs and my Rev and both of them were of the opinion of MOVE THE DATE instead, and see what date was open with the speaker. I didn’t want to move it because I had plans for the coming months abeg, and moving it would move my plans. It was hard enough that my devotionals were not yet out, now this. Ugh!!! But I listened, rang Steph up and told her and she agreed to another date. Then I sent an email to the three, asked if they wanted a refund and all said no. I proceeded to do more publicity.
Hahahaha. Trust me, NOT ONE MORE Chick showed up. Lol. I then knew in my heart that I really was NOT to move it. I publicised like cray, yet my email stayed without a new email.
At that point, I started to feel peace. I knew even if we had just ONE person, I would have Powwow and it would not affect what I had to say. In all of that, God started to show me His heart for me as a MarketPlace Apostle, how I had missed it I some ways, and how I could retrace my steps. He now started to tell me more big things that were absolutely ridiculous in the light of not even being able to pull more than THREE Chicks together. For some reason, at the same time, He started to show me some people who I deeply admire who shared stories of how they would plan events and ONE person would show up. Stuff was real yawl, and in all that battle, I found my strength, and my peace.
The chatterbox got louder but the Word in me drowned it out.
It didn’t matter anymore the numbers. I was going to obey God. I rang the venue and asked for a smaller hall, and I also adjusted my refreshments so that I would not overspend. Then I went about my life, and prepared my notes. When I had cut down the budget, I then knew I could accommodate more Chicks even if they wanted to come for free without hurting my pocket, so I asked for FIVE ladies only, and STILL ONLY Three indicated interest, and then only ONE turned up. HAHA. It was now funny to me how GOD truly was checking my heart, and I was determined to base my identity and worth not on anything else but Him.
Did I even mention that NOT ONE of my friends were even asking me how far? It was like NOBODY cared, even when i moved it, no questions haha. Unlike the previous ones where everyone literally harangued me daily for how it was going. Talk about dry and lonely places, and I wasn’t upset ooo. I JUST KNEW God was doing something FIRST in me, and I was low key JOYFUL that I was in a test, and I was gon’ pass it no matter what…
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing… James 1v2-3
Truly, then the D-day came, and the joy and peace I had ehn, satan doesn’t even have it to give, or have the power to mess with it. I could NOT wait to get there. I was PUMPED haha.
Steph had asked me how many people were coming, and I had 9 at the time (I had some literal LAST MINUTE Chicks indicate interest but it didn’t matter anymore).
Steph spoke like she was in a hall with 5000 and so did I.
At the end of it, my heart was so full to explosion. Chicks were soooo blessed!!! Ah!!!
Then guess what? That morning as I dressed for church, the Holy Spirit told me that just like powwow 1.0 where I had someone I had invited just as a favor commit to pay because what she got from there was EVERYTHING, and eventually pay, I would have one like that at Powwow 3.0. It happened like that. Someone I thought came for free, at the end said what she got from there was more than 5k and she transferred the money to me there and then.
Lol. God is so awesome.
Look yawl, be very careful of the kinds of stuff we hear today, especially when we are building or working on som’in. Dry seasons and empty roads do NOT always mean you are doing something wrong, or God has left you. That BIG GUY up there is truly AWESOME in all His ways and like DDK said at Warrior In heels, we get so concerned about what God wants to do for us, but God’s interest is in really on what HE CAN DO IN US FIRST, cos I have to become the KIND OF WOMAN that can ENTER INTO SOME KIND OF LEVELS, and until I have grown into that, sorry baby, sorry!!!
Powwow 3.0 was a huge test and yawl, the joy of passing that test is simply like nothing else.
Like I was laid out yawl, flat in gratitude. I was feeling like ‘ALL THA’…’ haha.
Then the very next day, YNaija releases their list of 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA and I am notified that my name is on it.
If you have read WITHOUT RIVAL by Lisa Bevere, you would be a bit wary of lists, even good intentioned ones, but even then, we know that our flesh sort of LOVES stuff like that.
I saw the list and I was not like YES!!! Look mama we made it. (And that is NOT bad too). I just had this private Thank You Jesus moment, especially cos OBVIOUSLY Angels are real and publicize a man, and then I moved on.
I didn’t even tell anyone haha, but people started to send me the link and all, and I am like, I know hehe.
You see the two extremes?
An event where only THREE people pay, and then your name being on 100 most influential…
But neither has the power to confer an identity on me!!! Our identity is in Christ, simple. So we take the highs, the lows and the mids, and drop at the Cross, exchanging it for what He did for us right there.
That, my people, is all that matters.
If I loved myself anymore, it may become self-idolatry Hahaha.
Oh and I also love this mentee of mine who did all the running around for Powwow for me,
and my team of three who prayed daily like we was expecting 1000s. Thanks Teni and Bims and Dee. Yawl are awesome!!!
Ok moving on, I am super excited about the next powwow with E’ which will be Sunday just before my birthday. Love that my profile on YNaija 100 had Christian Fitness Coach, and had MENTORING too cos the next one is on MENTORING!!!
Before you start jumping, there is an age limit this time to it, and I am catching them young. 16 to 21 and you must be in Uni or about to enter. Will give more details on that soon. Plus I love who the Lord is leading me to bring. She is one of my faves and incidentally, I met her about the date Powwow 4.0 will hold, but last year. No prices for guessing, but she will be perfect for it.
Like I said, more details to follow so start calling all your younger ones who need to be set on the right path early on. TFS mentoring academy in June will go the same direction.
Mentoring from a young age.
And crazy thing is I am speaking at a conference in Unilag this month
and part of what the organizers are doing is assigning us Chicks to mentor from the event. Like God is so cool in how He orchestrates things. I can already tell that 31 is going to be another FAB year. I should share more on this event later
Ok final info, my first Devotional has a release date. Yay. get ready to war ladies!!!
Monday, MAY 29 and I think pre-orders start in 2weeks. Having a meeting this weekend with one of my team to finalize it all.
Super duper excited.
And yay for red-hair bombshells haha.
I fixed it primarily for Ebony life, but I pretty much will wear this style and color forever haha. Love it, and been fleek’in it err’damn’where hehe. My interview went amazing too, and Lamide is such a diva lol
and I can’t wait for yawl to see it in June, or later this month. I have a clip but I can’t share till it goes live. I truly can’t wait to host my own TV program. Whoop!!!
Ok stay blessed yawl, and make sure that NOTHING gets strong enough to confer an identity on you beyond THE LIVING WORD…
Lots of love
E’
PS
The 5k Christmas in the middle promo is still on
and you can sign up for Squad B as A is closed…
Details here
Halleluyah to Jesus…In every situation, we win!! I love this post because i had a relatable experience recently with work…I learnt that in all things and at all times, he ALONE is my provider..and he will take care of me!! Thank you Eziaha for sharing your life truthfully.. its super cool!!
Hmmm this is very relatable. It’s the same way I sometimes consider quitting blogging altogether, and I get a nudge telling/asking me if just one person reads what I write and is blessed, shouldn’t that be enough? Haha. So yeah. That’s not to say the thought of quitting still won’t pop up once in a while, and what if I actually listen and adhere to it? Perhaps. But today I read this, and it encouraged me. So for now, I will not quit.
I am truly blessed by your testimony. This just shows that God wants to perfect His work in Us first before He sends us to other.
Every. Single. Programme. I have done for God has not been about them but me. God has used all to prune me. Sometimes the night before the event. I must pass the test every single time.
PortHarcourt ladies event in January was brutal.
I wrote the words below from my lessons hope it helps us:
The truth is I thought God was sending me to Port Harcourt to minister to others and then I found out that He actually wanted to minister to me.
Yes the Holy Spirit broke many down at the event but first He broke me down..I wept the night before. Couldn’t even pray.
First I wept from the books not coming in and later I wept as God placed the question before me and showed me my heart.
Frances..souls or money?
If there is no book launch even if you planned that there should be..would you still minister unto me with souls for my Kingdom as the sole focus?
I had and still have a lot of flaws in me.
My heart is filthy.
I haven’t stopped crying to the Lord to help me.. I am not worthy. I still cant say “come Lord Jesus come”.
In His image I am still not totally conformed.
I wanted to write an Online Study on the blog on 1 Corinthians 3.. the verse highlighted here.
Oh so many of us are working for God.. but dear worker for God..He tests the heart more than the actions.
Men may hail you and say you are walking in purpose but do those works count before God?
Is your reward intact?
Why do you do what you do?
Yes He said organize that event for me..you did.. but what were your motives?
Who took the glory?
Would your work survive the test on the last day?? Oh when I saw this I had a pain in my heart..
How sad would it be to work for God on earth and have our works burned with fire when we get to heaven…because they didn’t pass the test.
What test?
The test of the heart.
Of motives.
Of even your state as He did what He said you should do… grumbling or cheerfully?
This is deep.
I pray the Holy Spirit helps us in this walk for the Lord.
Prune us of ourselves Lord.
Mold us.. reshape us into your very self.
Our hearts still need to be remolded by your Spirit.
Please Lord.
Please.
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NIV
Well done darling. Thank God we can find ourselves in Him. Him and only Him validates. Congrats on the list.
Good morning,please where have I been all this while that I haven’t connected with you!
Thank you for sharing your story,ahaa,God is amazing and I am ready to allow him do with me what he alone can do.
Great one. Importation kind of testimony. Thanks for sharing