The day before I wrote this, I had released an episode. The number of views can greatly vary on release day. Well, the night before, I felt God impress on me to take my hand off and let him do what he needs to do. Once the episode is out, there are so many things I do to boost views. A lot of tiring things and the way the year decided to end, I didn’t even have the capacity to continue these activities. So, when I felt God impress on me, to take my hands off! even though I still wanted my hands on, it was actually much needed. Look at God! The result, release date had 13 views. I celebrated like it was much more than 13. The day I am writing this, i.e., overnight, its DOUBLED to 26 views (it’s gone to 43 as I post this, praise God!)! So, imagine the praise and gratitude I went into.
The day before I released the episode, I heard a sermon that described the popular verse from the Excellent Book, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” as “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing” in another translation. I have heard this verse so many times but the way 2024 went, it hit differently this time. I have been repeating the latter version with an attitude! and since then I have been seeing things like the above testimony. Truth is, though 2024 seemed to end with a hard slap, through it all, God has truly been my Shepherd, looking for me when I’m lost, finding me and bringing me to green pastures, when I had previously been lost in the desert. If there is one place, he has found me, it’s in my baby podcast of 24 episodes at the time I am writing this.
If you told me years ago, I would be… and allow me to indulge a bit, producing, executive producing, editing, graphic-ing a podcast, that I’ve started all by myself, I’d have asked “HOW?! I’ve never done all that before?” Well, if ever there is anything you are doing that was impossible to begin with that has now become possible, the simple explanation is Gods’ Victorious right hand has been moving because nothing is too hard for the Lord! With God nothing is impossible! Noah was not an architect/contractor, Moses didn’t go to 360 degree Leadership training, Daudi never went to the U.S. or Israel Army to train. When God tells you to circle round the Jericho block 7 times, and then shout, that wall MUST crumble down! God doesn’t play about his children. His ways/methods are definitely not ours or this worlds! Praise him!
Your lack of skill in recording, lighting, editing, does not matter when Gods’ hand is in it. Your lack of resources also does not matter, in fact at all! Nothing stops the Victorious right hand of the Lord. The ordinary or prerequisite(s) not fulfilled is not even a problem for the Lord. It has been clear to some viewers I don’t have the resources or skill because they have fedback how “video quality is not good”, “the host should get HD camera”, “your video production needs to step up its game” “your lighting is not good and makes you shine…like you have put a lot of Vaseline in El nino.”
Even in receiving this feedback, Gods’ Victorious right hand was on me. In my Bible reading, shortly after receiving those comments I came across this verse “To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction” OUCH! Aki God Woye! (closest translation: Dear Lord, please/have mercy). God knows I have a criticism wound and he had to get me to do something with the feedback as painful as it was. I was able to eat the fish and leave the bones because, I know God wanted me to learn so I can grow. I thought I was helping people with matters of health only, but the positive feedback I have received says there’s more to it than that. Praise God!
My testimony is not only about the things I have learnt to do, and there have been many! The challenges I have had in the process of getting an episode out, is where the testimony also lies. Naturally, when I had the idea to start the podcast, I wanted perfect conditions of having perfect equipment and perfect everything. That wasn’t happening and I decided to start where I was and not risk waiting another year or more, to start. I didn’t want to delay my mission further. In speaking to one of my friends recently, she gave me the encouragement that many people do start out like that.
She has seen one of the programs she watches on YouTube evolve from having such dark lighting, while shooting in her bedroom, no glam, technical issue upon technical issue and now…. The present reality is a stark contrast literally to the beginning. What I have learnt is there are some things you just have to start somewhere and keep taking the next step then the next then the next. Most of all Let God be in the mix. One thing he can't do is fail you! Hallelujah!
I have been frustrated with the editing process and editing platform and in those moments of deep frustration I have said “aki Jesus, this thing is really annoying me!” If I could get paid £1K, for each time I have said that and the solution then appears immediately after such lamentations which are not even prayers let alone "complete" prayers, I would have lots of money. God has been faithful. In the beginning stages, it would take me a whole day to do the episode the way I wanted. The platform I was using was so slow. I lamented to God about this one time and Voila! He directed me where to go and now I only spend a couple of hours instead of sleeping at 4am!
I didn’t want it to be the usual podcast because I was on a mission to get people to take action in their health. Voila! God directed me on having the reflection segments at the end. Just 2 days ago when editing the latest episode at the time of writing this, again God directed me to do something I have not done before, that I am really excited about! Look for episode 24 “Relocating: The Mental Health Considerations You Didn’t Know” Click the button below to view. There’s an added clip where I explain the Idea.
The Excellent Book says every Good and Perfect thing comes from the Lord, so off course the idea was not from me! God has literally been working with me in the operations and ideas and I am so grateful, and this is why I call the podcast the Joy of my heart in 2024 because only God and I know what has been going on behind the scenes. I am also so proud of what I have done considering everything. I am so grateful for the 69 subscribers I have (it’s just gone to 73 as I write this, praise God!). I am so grateful for the number of views; each episode has had because I have learnt it is not easy work! I have had a new found respect for any content creator and its made me celebrate them more when they receive their dues.
I am so grateful for the constant ideas God is bestowing. I am so grateful for everything. Listen! I am so grateful even for the YouTube thumbnail picture I use; I love it. I am just so thankful for everything, and I am not taking anything about this podcast for granted. And all this because God is Great, God is Faithful and my testimony for sure just in this one area is God will do exceedingly & abundantly far more than you can ask, think or imagine. I credit God for everything. He deserves it.
The testimony continues to the guests who have graced me with their time and expertise on a platform they know is very, like, very humble. Again, like the meetings and conferences I have spoken at, where I have been in the presence of such highly qualified, accomplished and achieved professionals, I have found the same with the guests and I am baffled why they said yes to me. I repeat, Is anything too hard for the Lord? God is a supernatural God and makes supernatural things happen.
In the natural I should not have had those guests for a myriad of reasons besides my humble platform, including my humble resources. Michelle Williams song captures it best, “When Jesus says Yes, nobadi can say no!” even if perhaps, they wanted to say no. The other testimony is they have shown up as though they were on the Oprah show. They have given fully of themselves and not only my audience but even I, have learnt so much from them. The other testimony is where Invitees have said No, God has shown me why HE has said No! PRAISE GOD! Where the guest said yes, but I should have said no, he has taught me vital lessons on that too. When I say I have learnt, I am as serious as a heart attack!
My testimony is also in the spiritual lessons God has taught me. God is not a man that he should lie. I am to only look to him for validation and approval. He knows that’s another wound. Humans can flatter you with lies. In this way, whatever feedback I get, I will be secure and strong in the Lord. This is better than the thick skin the world wants you to have when you do such internet activities. I don’t need a skin condition, I need the strength, courage, faith and hope of the Lord. I need to keep walking by faith because eyes haven’t seen, ears haven’t heard, (definitely not mine), what God wants to do for me in this area.
So, I am excited to be on this journey and excited to continue to taste and see how the Lord is Phenomenally Good, All the Time. The outcome doesn’t change that. There is one episode I didn’t put my hand on, the days when I used to put my hand on, and it had 1 view. If the recent idea God has given me, doesn’t give the natural outcome, one would expect from it, I will still shout out that God is still Good All the time. Another lesson God reminded me is that it’s not about the outcome as the world is obsessed with. He bothered to give me the idea in the first place! Me!, not righteous Job type me, Not righteous Enoch type me, so righteous he was taken up to heaven. No! sinful, descendant of Adam & Eve me, who Jesus had to come and die for me, me! God is giving me plenty of ideas. Hallelujah!
God is faithful when you’re starting something new and out of your comfort zone, like a podcast. He is so faithful throughout the entire process; he turns it into the joy of your heart in a year he knew wanted to end with a slap (see previous blog post Eh! 2024!). Praise God I can choose to remember 2024 as the one that brought me joy in the heart, in a year I very much needed that. I say it again, God is phenomenally Good!
Wishing You a 2025 filled with things eyes haven’t seen; ears haven’t heard because Nothing is too hard For the Lord!
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