Onwuka Ikpa

FOCUS

2015-02-18T09:09:00.003+01:00

Spend Sometime to study the life of Apostle Paul, you'll find that he flourished in his business with God. But one little secret I've discovered from study is that he did not desire to be what God did not make him. He did not leave his duty call to chase after other luxurious ambitions or duties.

"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect"
-1Corinthians 1:17

He knew exactly what he was called to do and never accepted to be lured into other administrations for whatsoever.

Recall in Acts 9: 6; 16-20
"And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do"
"And Ananias went his way, and entered into his house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God"

God called him to preach the gospel and he never deviated from it, so he flourished. Many persons today have been called to do one thing, yet they feel the other is in trend and they move headlong with it and end up with a great crash. God help us!

"And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it"
-Colossians 4:17

Let us focus on our call that we may fulfill it.
If you don't know what God has called you to do in this world, now is a good time to ask him in the place of prayer.

Have a nice day,
God bless you!

CONTENTMENT

2015-02-17T15:42:00.001+01:00

1 Timothy 6:6-10

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

It is self explanatory, just be CONTENT!

Hope you're enjoying your day?

AGREEMENT

2015-02-12T10:51:00.000+01:00

You know, I discovered a little early that every principle and operation of life is stated clearly in the scriptures. The Bible is the Creator's manual and the Creator is God. Many dilligently try to deny this truth, although it always ends in confusion of 'sense' points.

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"- Amos 3:3
This rhetorical question has its answer as NO! Its impossible. Even if they try to, they'll end up at a deadlock somewhere without moving forward.

This simple principle of agreement and progress comes in play during our daily activities.

Now I'll divide this agreement into two: Self agreement and Team agreement.
Whenever we read this text, what comes to our mind is Team agreement. Agreement between two or more people.

I want to introduce Self agreement also.
"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways"-James 1:8
Imagine a scenario where the brain sends signal for the leg to move, then the leg doubts for a second before obeying. You know it could cause the whole body to fall. When one is not in agreement with himself, such a person will be unstable in everything he does; in decisions and every other thing.

So in conclusion, agreement whether as a team or as one's self is very important if there would be progress in any way.

If we would also excell in our walk with God our creator, then we must also agree with him.

All the best!

SMILE

2015-02-10T14:58:00.002+01:00

Smile is a virtue,
Its a gift you could give to the confused and depressed world.
Its a sign God is working in your life,
Its an answer to the devil's question of whether God is on your side,
Its a big YES!

Smile seasons our expressions even in depression,
No matter how wrinkled your face is,
There is a twinkle sparked on it by a smile.
The earnest prayer of every man even if only a few know is for God to put a smile on his face.
Many however who smile without stress might not know its value,
Until its stiffened by harmattan.

Smile is a thing of the heart, its a decision taken at heart before it manifests outwardly.
You smile in your heart before you smile on your face.
So learn to be joyous always,
For only then would you have a smile to give.

The joy if the Lord is all we need,
We get this at salvation.

Get saved, get the joy of the Lord, then you'll get a smile!

Have a nice day!

SHUT THE DEVIL UP!!!

2015-02-09T08:32:00.000+01:00

When you speak the gospel and the devil asks you: "Have you finished preaching to yourself first?", trying to instill condemnation and guilt into you. Just look boldly as a son of God into his eyes and say: "I have not finished preaching to myself, I preach to myself everyday, I put my flesh under everyday, I die to sin in Christ everyday, I have not finished. But be it known to you that I will not keep quiet while you lord these ones, I will interfere and bring the gospel to them, I will not relent in disrupting your evil agenda against them. Have you gotten it?".
After saying this, just turn about and go your way into the place where you were to preach the gospel. Don't forget also to tell him you're aware the Bible says:"Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he falls" and that God's grace has been keeping and will continue to keep you from falling.

Preach the gospel without fear!!!

Good morning.

Leave a comment...

TWO SIDES OF A COIN

2015-02-08T12:58:00.002+01:00

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”

- Ecclesiastes 12:13

The summary of man’s duty is:

Fear God
Keep His Commandment

We are going to establish in simple terms what this really means. Remember the bible says in John 14:15- If you love me, keep my commandments. So we can accept that keeping God’s commandment is relative to loving him.

So the conclusion of the whole matter is: fear God and Love him. FEAR|LOVE.

These are two sides of a coin. They are inseparable. You cannot fear God and not love him; also you cannot love God and not fear him. They go hands in hands.

Fear in this context refers to reverence and respect. In as much as we say we love God, our love is not complete until we do his commandments and fear him.

Let us not slack in our duty as we continue in our race.

God bless you!

127SAM3>5

2015-02-07T09:24:00.001+01:00

I'll start by saying the title of this article is ciphered somehow, so have fun deciphering it!

"Lo Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies at the gate"

Childhood! What a lovely stage of life.
Children! What a beautiful set to have.

Their conscience is as white as snow,
Their love is as strong as diamond,
Their vision is as high as the mountains,
Their hope is as stable as a rock.

Go to the children and learn of faith towards God.
Go to the children and they'll change your heart.

They are respected even by the wicked,
They are cherished by the weak and strong alike,
They are the light and salt of the earth,
They are heavily defended by God.

Anyone who is not like these ones, the scripture says shall not get into the kingdom,
Oh! what a noble stage of life.

Their smiles can change the heart of a King,
Their tears can get God standing from his throne,
Their heart is most terrifying to the devil,
Their enemies are dead men walking!

Wow! How I wish I were a child.... wait a minute, I still am.
I am a child of heaven, of the kingdom, of God!
Childhood is a state of the heart...God wants us to be as sincere and harmless as they could be.

I am a SON, and that of the KING!

Good morning,
Have a blissful day.

Leave a comment!

SCRIPTURE MOST POPULAR

2015-02-06T08:36:00.002+01:00

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" - John 3:16

As far as I can remember, this has been the first verse of the bible every child learns and memorises while growing.
The truth remains that so many spend a lifetime on earth without living in the reality of this verse. It is as simple as stated, but only a heart ready to understand will grasp the breadth, length and depth of this scripture. Jesus died to save mankind from what? From Sin!
The problem with the world today is not corruption, not hatred, not wars. All these are just symptoms. The real problem with the world is Sin, and until sin is dealt with, the earth will keep on groaning and getting unbalanced.
Jesus died to deal with this problem, which has given birth to several symptoms.
As many as believe in him would be saved and as many as are saved would be free from this problem; sin.
Let us start living in the reality of the most popular verse: John 3:16.

God bless you!
Leave a comment!

TWO THINGS GOD WILL NOT JOKE WITH

2015-02-05T06:59:00.001+01:00

There are two things God will not joke with: His Name and His Word.

Whenever he gets his name involved in anything, you’re sure he’ll defend it to the end. The bible says “He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his NAME’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). Not for any other reason, not because of your beauty, righteousness, excellence, wealth or whatsoever you might think of, but for his NAME’s sake. He holds his words in high esteem as well, he says “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my WORD be that goes out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10,11).

As far as it is God’s word, it must come to pass! Nothing can stop it. Incidentally, we have been given both of them. We are called by the name of God as far as we’re redeemed and we have his word.

What else do we need to dominate our world?

What else do we need to prevail on our knees?

What else do we need to become Prayer Generals?

We can only prosper by the truth we know.

God bless you…

THE IMPOSSIBLE PLACE

2015-02-04T17:38:00.001+01:00

The things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned.
The physical mind says the scriptures, cannot understand the things of the Spirit. It takes spirit to understand Spirit. Only a transformed mind can understand him.
The Spirit of God is a He, not an it.
Its a misconception to see the third person in Trinity as a thing!
The place he operates is an impossible place to one who has given himself to the secular.
As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God.

Its a place of humility,a place of his glory.
Who shall ascend into the hills of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
He that has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted his soul unto vain things!
Its a place of sacrifice. Sacrifice of ego, time and ultimately; self.
Its an impossible place to the one whose soul has been lifted up to vain things.
Let us come down from our high horsebacks and enrol into the school of the Spirit.
Only then can we prove of a surety the mind of our father; God!
Remember! Its an impossible place to him whose soul has been given over to vain things..... Step out of the secular.... Dive into the Spiritual through Jesus...then it becomes a possible place to you.

God bless you as you move into that place!
The place of the HOLY GHOST!

Leave a comment!

GRAVITY

2015-02-04T07:13:00.001+01:00

You can disobey your parents as you want,

Even try to disobey your maker with every opportunity,

But know that you cannot disobey Gravity.

You can be from the greatest dynasty,

Commanding words of authority,

But know that you are subjected to Gravity.

You can be as proud as Nebuchadnezzar,

Commanding death sentences through Melzar,

But know that you could be held Six feet below by Gravity.

Oh! You are a scientist or an Inventor,

Devising means to counter nature,

Then, invent something to keep you up forever without descending to Gravity!

You spend sleepless nights getting the dx and dy,

Yet not able to fully explain why,

Know that you are dealing with Gravity.

You may say it’s a big embedded magnet,

Or that it’s an invisible force field,

But I’ll tell you it’s the mighty work of God.

Or what do you think?
Leave a comment!
Good morning...

NO MORE DILLY-DALLIES

2015-02-03T07:13:00.002+01:00

What are you living for?

What exactly is your destiny here on earth?

Why do you think ‘of the over one million cells, you were the only one whose half made it through to your other half in your mother’s womb’?

If you can’t readily answer these questions at this time, then going to the maker to inquire why he created you would be an urgent and paramount need.

Living without a purpose or a vision is the worst thing that could happen to a living creature! Worse still; one created in the image of God! It is said “you cannot hit a target that you cannot see”

Let us briefly see ‘Time and Achievements’ from the biblical standpoint: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” (Prov. 6:6). According to the oxford dictionary, a sluggard is somebody who is slow and lazy. Now get this, one might not be literally or physically slow before such would be called a sluggard. Not moving through life with a vision is sluggardly as well as boycotting responsibilities. A little study of ants would show that they never tire. When last did you see an ant asleep? (You need rest though! You’re not an ant). Even if their one mission is to survive by providing food for themselves, they do it with zeal and determination, never erring from their vision. Place an obstacle before them and they’ll climb right over it- oblivious to even you- and continue their journey because they have a mission and a target. Study has shown that an ant can carry an object over five times its size, what a feat! Come to think of it, not a human builds the anthills you see around. The ants are orderly when moving, even without a commander. They strategize for one reason: the knowledge of the fact that if they don’t meet their target; getting food during the rainy season, they’ll suffer for it all through the dry season. The nursery rhyme- “Tick! Says the clock, Tick! Tick! What you have to do, do quick!”-might not have had a thrilling meaning when read in nursery school, but it sure does now.

Whatever your mission is anywhere you find yourself, never delay in executing it. Don’t just sit there allowing time to pass, rather pass time and wait for it at the finish line. You’re not too young to cause a change in your location; Joash was only seven when he began to reign as king (2Chron. 24:1). Don’t say you’re in your still in your early twenties, it’s too early to step out on the platform; Zedekiah was twenty one when he stepped into the throne (Jer. 52:1).

Don’t think of being too late or too old to achieve that dream of yours; Father Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born unto him (Gen. 21:5). Do you want to start up a small or large scale business? Then START! Do you want to bag a first class degree? C’mon! STUDY hard and depend on GOD! Do you want to evangelize? GET OUT there and do it! Do you want to take over the world for Jesus? Come out and exercise DOMINION! No more dilly-dallying (Rom. 8:19), let us take charge of our horizon as Ambassadors of Christ, doing what Jesus Would Do!

God Bless You,

Onwuka Ikpa

Share your thought!

COMBAT FOR GLORY

2015-02-02T06:51:00.000+01:00

The potter makes what he wishes with the clay

The clay has to yield or be molded astray

Woe to him says the great prophet

That strives with his Maker

Let the potsherd strive with the potsherd of the earth

Shall the clay say to the potter, what do you make?

Yet we ask our creator this question day by day

He demands all attention

We ask for recognition

He gives us in secret all we ask

We take the praise in open without a mask

Oh! What a father; loving his children ever

He sent his only begotten Son for us, to die at Golgotha

Yet we are daily farther from adoring him whenever

It’s a struggle for recognition

Between the potter and the clay

The end however is always destruction

Of the clay day by day

Stop the struggle for recognition!

Stop the COMBAT FOR GLORY!

Channel all honour to the maker!

GOD!!!

Or what do you think?

WORD OF PRAYER

2015-01-30T19:28:00.001+01:00

When in my life all odds compel
When my weary eyes close in tears
When I struggle and tear shreds
When within me I want to conquer

When I slowly move like an eel
When through and through upright stand my hairs
When my worry is so much I can't bear
When I am left in the dark to ponder

When in my spirit there's nothing to propel
When all I do is live in fear
When all oppress and there's no one to care
When I am in need of an answer

When all the joy in me expels
When I listen for good tidings with puckered ears
When I am pushed so far to the rear
Then what I really need is a word of prayer

Written by Adora Ahamefula.

Share your thoughts!
Leave a comment!

SEARCH OUT THE GOOD IN EVERYONE

2015-01-29T06:37:00.002+01:00

“The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy; yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none”

- Ezekiel 22: 29-30

The above verses are usually referred to when talking about God’s search for intercessors. But as I read this again, I got a fresh understanding of God’s love for man. It is a truth that every word of God to man reflects his love in its entirety one way or the other. In the text above, the people had sinned against God and he had every right to wipe them out, he would be right if he destroyed them. It would be justice if he punished them severely for what they had done. The depth of their sins was very much. But instead, God went further to search for a man who would make up the hedge, who would serve as an ambassador and plead for them that he would not destroy them. Now notice that God did not search for this man from a different nation or people, he “sought for a man among them”.

Now you would also want to consider why God still had to search for someone in the midst of these ‘sinful’ people. He was not happy with them, but he still believed something good could come out of them. Even if at the end of the search he found none, he at least made an attempt to search for an iota of good among them. God doesn’t just leave us like that; he doesn’t give up on us for any reason. In fact we are the ones who give up on ourselves and on others, even while God still searches for the good in us.

How do we relate with others as Christians? How do you see that drunkard that lives at your back yard? What do you say of that prostitute down your street? Have you already marked them for hell? Have you started visualizing them burning in the lake of fire even when they are still on earth? 2Peter 3:9 says: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”. If God can be longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, if he still searches for a good man in the midst of a perverse and corrupt nation, what stops us from doing the same?

No matter how dark the cloud is, there is always a beam of sunlight behind it. Search out that sunlight. Believe me there is good in every man. Before condemning any person, why not at least present a solution to such a person; Jesus is the way. Your criticism is not, your self-righteousness is not, and your track record is not. Let us learn to search out the image of God in every man and by doing this, we are at least moving forward in our mandate to be perfect just like our father; God.

Have a nice day!

Please don't just leave; leave a comment...

GOD SENT A TEXT!

2015-01-28T07:19:00.000+01:00

How do you feel when you receive a letter or a text from a good friend? I bet it feels lovely and cozy!
Without such communication links it would be difficult to maintain the friendship.
God himself saw the need and started planning towards sending me a text...all the courses of nature were added to this text! As time progressed, there was war against this writ even as there is today. But it has always prevailed because it was compiled by the Ancient of Days!

In this text he told me of his unquenchable love for me! Wow!!! What would make one send his only son to die for me to be free from condemnation!
I kept the text because I cherish it a lot.
When I went out, I discovered he sent the text to many people too, but just very few take it serious!

The Bible! The infallible Word! The Text!

Have a nice day!

QUIET TIME

2015-01-27T07:16:00.007+01:00

Waking up early in the morning I take cognizance of my longing

It’s so strong and unquenchable that it leads me into singing

My hearts searches, my soul unlocks its latches

Ready to receive from the rivers of living water

Surprisingly I find out it’s not distant

I realise the waters flow from my inside

Where the ancient of days resides

Still in this aura of glory I can’t but shout GLORY!

Because I notice the active presence of the King of Glory

Coming down from his magnificent throne

To transform my naughty heart of stone

And just one touch from him makes me whole

What an encounter to be told to my generations

It would definitely lead to their regeneration

Little wonder the great Psalmist says:

My soul thirsts for God; the living God

Oh! When shall I come and appear before God

At this time my spirit is lifted

My soul is highlighted

By the Spirit of the most high!

So much that I'm convinced I'm getting Spirit High!

This is my Quiet Time

A time I set aside deliberately

For me and my God to deliberate!!!

Hope you had yours today?

Share your experience...leave a comment!

Love Swap

2015-01-26T22:17:00.000+01:00

God gave us people to love and things to use. Do not join the world in reversing this principle, using people and loving things.

Its an error of our generation the way people treat each other. Sometimes like animals. Not having any iota of compassion towards them. People rather give the lives of others than give up their material things. These things should not be so.
Let us correct the love swap and get back to the way God created us to be.
It is well!

What's your thought on this? Leave a comment!

DESTRUCTIVE CRITICIZERS

2015-01-25T14:26:00.002+01:00

This world is really a deceitful one. Many do not care so much about who you are, what your mission or intention is, or even how you feel. All they want to do is castigate you, condemn you and do all sorts of evil against you (well, some people are good any way).

If they see you talking to someone who was known to be a thief, they conclude already; “You are a thief”. They care less whether you were preaching to him or if he gave his life to Christ at that encounter. They already mark you BAD. Because of this reason, many have resorted to becoming ‘men pleasers’ rather than pleasers of God. When they want to go out on evangelism or a likely function, they carry big bibles, so that they would not be condemned for entering a particular area known to be for ‘sinners’, they wear fine suits with bishop tags so all can see, and stop the castigation…Oh! What a stigma.

Meanwhile, the eyes of these critical criticizers hover around like a hunter’s range rover, looking for whom to kill with the bullets of their words. It’s a pity many of them don’t know the power of the tongue. No wonder James likens it to fire, that devours far and wide. They are so eager to talk evil about the ‘stranger’, not moving themselves with a finger, without even knowing that a word is enough to practically break the sixth of the Ten Commandments.

How awful; destructive criticizers, paralyzing the morale of the weak, 7 days a week, weakening the spirits of the saints, without being sent, conceiving mischief against the meek. What they seek, I know not.

But I tell you the truth; we must care less about these despisers of reality, whose mouths are open sepulchres. Their minds are filled with deceit.

“It’s not fair!” “It’s not fair!” But they move on to the next year, seeking for an ear to deposit these words of theirs that can wear the gears of the soul if it were a machine, loosen its hem if it were a cloth, create pot holes on its road if it were a car, pluck away 60 feathers if it were a bird. But we are none of these, so please STOP! the tease.

Let us encourage each other, for only then can we be relevant forever.

God Bless you.

Remember to leave a comment!

Also feel free to share this article if you think its worth it!

2015-01-24T23:26:00.002+01:00

Hi there! I'm still Ikpa Onwuka and just want to seize this opportunity to apologize for the very long silence... *wasn't intentional though*....Anyway, the blog is back and better. Expect the best!
And never forget that Jesus loves you so much, your toils and struggles would not make him change the way he loves you. His heart beat is that all be saved! It pains him whenever anyone whom he created chooses to die in sin, rather than accepting the gift of salvation made available through his Son Jesus!

I hope you reading this understands what I mean... Jesus with arms open wide is saying; "COME SON! COME DAUGHTER!"

Carl Maxie Brashear

2014-06-16T19:51:00.001+01:00

Carl Maxie Brashear (January 19, 1931 – July25, 2006) was the first African American to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver, rising to the position in 1970.

Early life

Brashear was born on January 19, 1931, in Tonieville, Kentucky , the sixth of eight children to sharecroppers McDonald and Gonzella Brashear. In 1935, the family settled on a farm in Sonora, Kentucky . Brashear attended Sonora Grade School from 1937 to 1946.

Career

Brashear enlisted in the U.S. Navy on February 25, 1948, shortly after the Navy had been desegregated by U.S. President Harry S. Truman. He graduated from the U.S. Navy Diving & Salvage School in 1954, becoming the first African-American to attend and graduate from the Diving & Salvage School and the first African-American U.S. Navy Diver. While attending diving school in Bayonne, New Jersey , Brashear faced hostility and racism. He found notes on his bunk saying, “We’re going to drown you today, nigger!” and “We don’t want any nigger divers.” Brashear receivedencouragement to finish from First Class Boatswain’s Mate Rutherford, and graduated 16out of 17. Brashear first did work as a diver retrieving approximately 16,000 rounds of ammunition that fell off a barge which had broken in half and sunk to the bottom. On his first tour of shore duty in Quonset Point, Rhode Island his duties included the salvaging of airplanes, including one Blue Angel and recovering multiple dead bodies. Brashear was assigned to escort the presidential ship the Barbara Ann to Rhode Island. He met President Eisenhower and received a small knife that said, “To Carl M. Brashear. From Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1957. Many, many thanks.”

After making chief in 1959 he stayed at Guam for three years doing mostly demolition dives.

Leg amputation and recovery

In January 1966, in an accident now known as the Palomares incident, a B28 nuclear bomb was lost off the coast of Palomares, Spain after two United States Air Force aircraft of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), a B-52G Stratofortress bomber and a KC-135A Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft collided during aerial refueling . Brashear was serving aboard the USS Hoist (ARS-40) when it was dispatched to find and recover the missing bomb for the Air Force. The warhead was found after two and a half months of searching. For his service in helping to retrieve the bomb, Brashear was later awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal – the highest Navy award for non-combat heroism. During the bomb recovery operations on March 23, 1966, a line used for towing broke loose, causing a pipe to strike Brashear's left leg below the knee, nearly shearing it off. He was evacuated to Torrejon Air Base in Spain, then to the USAF Hospital at Wiesbaden Air Base , Germany ; and finally to the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia . Beset with persistent infection and necrosis , his left leg was eventually amputated. Brashear remained at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Portsmouth from May 1966 until March 1967 recovering and rehabilitating from the amputation. From March 1967 to March 1968, Brashear was assigned to the Harbor Clearance Unit Two, Diving School, preparing for return to full active duty and diving. In April 1968, after a long struggle, Brashear was the first amputee diver to be (re)certified as a U.S. Navy diver. In 1970, he became the first African-American U.S. Navy Master Diver , and served ten more years beyond that, achieving the rating of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate in 1971. Brashear was motivated by his beliefs that "It's not a sin to get knocked down; it's a sin to stay down" and "I ain't going to let nobody steal my dream".

"Sometimes I would come back from a run, and my artificial leg would have a puddle of blood from my stump. I wouldn't go to sick bay. In that year, if I had gone to sick bay, they would have written me up. I didn't go to sick bay. I'd go somewhere and hide and soak my leg in a bucket of hot water with salt in it--an old remedy. Then I'd get up the next morning and run." – Carl Brashear

Retirement

BMCM (MDV) Brashear retired from the U.S. Navy on April 1, 1979 as a Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9) and Master Diver. He then served as a civilian employee for the government at Naval Station Norfolk , Norfolk, Virginia and retired in 1993 with the grade of GS-11 .

Personal life

Brashear married and divorced three times: Junetta Wilcoxson (1952–1978), Hattie R. Elam (1980–1983), and Jeanette A. Brundage (1985– 1987). He had four children: Shazanta (1955– 1996), DaWayne, Phillip, and Patrick. Brashear's grand-nephew is former New York Rangers left wing Donald Brashear.

Pictured left is Carl Brashear and Cuba Gooding Jr. on the set of 20th Century Fox's Men of Honor . Carlserved as a technical advisor on the film.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. played the role of Brashear in Men of Honor, a movie inspired by the life of Carl Brashear.

Brashear died of respiratory and heart failure at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center , Portsmouth, Virginia on July 25, 2006. He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia . Carl Brashear Foundation After his death, his sons DaWayne and Phillip Brashear started the Carl Brashear Foundation in his honor.

Service Medal Honors

Brashear was honored with the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in October 2000 for 42 years of combined military and federal civilian service. The award was presented by Secretary of Defense William Cohen. On October 24, 2007, the Newport News Fire Department dedicated a 33-foot (10 m) high- speed fireboat named Carl Brashear to be used by their Dive and Marine Incident Response Teams. The Lewis and Clark -class dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7) was christened in his honor in San Diego, California on September 18, 2008. General Dynamics delivered the completed ship to the Navy on March 4, 2009. On February 21, 2009, Nauticus , a science and maritime museum in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, opened a new exhibit called "Dream to Dive: The Life of Master Diver Carl Brashear". It is the first full-scale museum exhibit dedicated to Brashear.

On Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 7:34 PM, his son, Phillip Brashear, chief warrant officer in the U.S. Army, came to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division to speak of his father and his own accomplishments during a ceremony honoring Black History Month. Phillip Brashear relayed his father’s message to the group. “First, everybody has to work. That is something a lot of young people need to learn,” said Phillip Brashear. “The second thing you need is an education. Education never stops. I didn’t get my bachelor’s degree until I was 38 years old.” The third thing was God. “You have to believe in a higher power,” he said.

Sources: www.wikipedia.org; www.chasingthefrog.com

Hmm! How inspiring. Well, I'll never advise you to divorce your wives for any reason except that which the word gives. And even at that, love still compels us to forgive.

This little biography challenged and inspired me, I hope it inspired you too?

Invention no. 10: Tooth ‘tattoo’ sensor

2014-05-14T19:05:00.000+01:00

The last but trust me, not the least

By Doug Gross, CNN

In the bizarre world of body modification, tooth tattoos – while they do exist – aren’t near the top of many people’s preferred procedures.
But a scientist at Princeton is working on a temporary one that could help detect tooth decay, gum disease and other illnesses.

The tiny sensor is made of graphene, the same substance that forms the graphite in pencils. But applied to ultra-thin layers of silk, it stays flexible enough to attach to skin, or, in this case, tooth enamel.
“It is like the difference between a tree and a piece of paper,” said Michael McAlpine, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton.

The thus-far unnamed sensor is outfitted with miniscule electrodes and a wireless coil – allowing it to be powered by, and transmit information to, a remote device. When it detects the kind of bacteria that causes decay or disease, it pings that device, letting its wearer know there’s a problem brewing.
Depending on which bacteria it’s programmed to detect, the sensor could also be used to watch for other types of illnesses. For example, hospitals could use the replaceable tooth tattoos to spot bacterial infections that sometimes spread among patients.

“The Holy Grail is to be able to detect diseases from saliva and breath,” said McAlpine. “The tooth comes in contact with both, so you can tailor the sensor to target different diseases.”

McAlpine’s team hasn’t made any public announcements on when the sensor might be available commercially, although it’s likely at least several years off. The lab’s work was published in a scientific journal last year and has already picked up some buzz – earning a spot on the New York Times Magazine’s “Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow” list.
It may not spark fashion trends. But by being able to detect tiny amounts of bacteria at a much higher sensitivity level than traditional methods, the tooth tattoo could give doctors a critical head start in battling infections.

Source: www.cnn.com

Hope you enjoyed the series?
Leave your comment to make the blog better!

Invention no. 9: Soccket energy ball

2014-05-14T19:00:00.000+01:00

By Todd Leopold, CNN

A soccer ball Barack Obama kicked in Tanzania wasn’t just any soccer ball.
It had power. Literally.
The Soccket may look like a soccer ball, but it’s really an energy source. Kick it around for 30 minutes, and thanks to some internal mechanisms, the kinetic energy is converted to about three hours’ worth of electricity – enough to charge a basic cell phone. A full charge, 72 hours, can be had for 16 hours of play.
The idea: Bring electricity and light to parts of the world that are power-poor and often make do with toxic, fume-producing kerosene lamps.

The ball is the flagship product of Uncharted Play, a company founded by two Harvard students, Jessica O. Matthews and Julia Silverman, in 2008.
The two were part of an engineering class for non-engineers. The class assignment: Come up with a playful idea that could help tackle an issue in the developing world. Matthews, whose family is from Nigeria, knew about power problems in sub-Saharan Africa, where less than 25% of the population has access to reliable electricity. With that in mind, the pair and their classmates came up with the Soccket concept.

It’s been through a variety of iterations. The first ball was a Nerf-like hamster ball. Then it became a soccer ball – a nod to the world’s most popular sport, readily played almost everywhere – but an inflatable version proved unworkable. The latest version is just two ounces heavier than a standard soccer ball, though Uncharted Play is still working on making it as bouncy. (Obama did manage to give it a header.)

The company has tested the balls in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil and parts of Africa and conducted a successful Kickstarter campaign earlier this year. (Among its fans: Bill Gates and Ashton Kutcher.) It’s now taking online orders through its website.

Matthews has said there are hopes of expanding to other sports, such as basketball. People across the globe may soon find themselves powering their homes by doing something as delightful and simple as playing a game.
Ain’t that a kick?

Source: www.cnn.com

Invention no. 8: Oculus Rift

2014-05-14T18:57:00.000+01:00

By Doug Gross, CNN

Get in the game. That’s not just an order barked from the sidelines any more. The folks behind Oculus Rift are hoping it’s the future of video gaming.
Rift is a head-mounted, virtual-reality device designed specifically with gaming in mind. The idea behind the goggles-and-headphones style contraption is to immerse players in a 3D world that’s as close as possible to the real one.

So, yes, Rift could be a real-world step toward the “Star Trek” Holodeck – a chamber which could simulate any environment -- so many of us have dreamed about for decades.
Rift was designed by Palmer Luckey, a 20-year-old engineer at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies.

Luckey started out as a teenager looking for cool virtual-reality tech he could use to play games. When he didn’t find it, he started trying to make it himself, scouring the Web and buying up outdated VR technology, sometimes for only a fraction of what the pieces originally cost.
When he felt he’d learned enough, he launched a Kickstarter project, hoping to raise enough money to make maybe a few hundred headsets for diehard enthusiasts.
The campaign set out to raise $250,000. It hit that goal in four hours and, by September, it had raised nearly $2.5 million.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that one of its early advocates was gaming legend John Carmack, the lead programmer of groundbreaking games like “Doom,” “Quake,” “Rage” and “Wolfenstein 3D.” Carmack, who demoed an early version of “Doom 3” at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, is now chief technology officer for Oculus.

Developer versions of the headsets have been rolling out to Kickstarter backers and others, for $300, since this spring. A consumer version, which will be compatible with PCs and Android devices, is expected sometime next year.
There are other virtual-reality headsets out there. But the people behind Oculus Rift promise their wide field of view, high-resolution display and other features will let people step inside their favorite game like never before.

Source: www.cnn.com

Invention no. 7: GravityLight

2014-05-14T18:53:00.003+01:00

By Heather Kelly, CNN

Turning on lights with the flick of a switch is a luxury most people don't ever question. But for the third of the world’s population that lives off of main electrical grids, something as simple as getting light can be a costly challenge.
To the rescue comes the GravityLight -- a simple, ingenious device that generates light without access to electricity.
The portable device doesn't have any batteries or require any fuel or cranking by hand. Instead, you hang the lamp on a wall and fill its attached bag with whatever heavy material is handy, such as rocks, dirt or sand. Then you simply lift the bag and let it go.

The weight slowly pulls a notched belt through a series of gears to drive a small motor, which powers an LED -- ambient or directed light, depending on what you need -- for about 30 minutes. It can even be used to power other low-voltage devices like radios or batteries.
The light will also have a positive impact on users’ health and the environment. In many poorer areas, the primary form of light is kerosene-powered lamps, which produce toxic fumes and trigger fires when the lamps tip over, causing severe burns.
For a struggling family, kerosene can also be costly. At a cost of only $10, Deciwatt says, the GravityLight would pay for itself in a few months.

Created by Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves, GravityLight was inspired by a challenge by SolarAid, a charity that asked inventors to come up with an LED light to replace kerosene lanterns.
Riddiford and Reeves believe the lamp is just the beginning of what they’ll be able to accomplish with this simple, low-level power. It’s all part of their mission to do more with less.

Source: www.cnn.com