<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[TEMI OLU: 📝 LETTERS & JOURNALS]]></title><description><![CDATA[This isn’t a “dear diary.” This is a mirror, a hand held out in the dark. I write a letter I wish someone had written to me. Some days, it’ll be a reflection on life, grace, dating, or starting over again.


]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/s/letters-and-journals</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Bt4!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa864826a-7200-4b5f-b065-5690c9ac1b1a_320x320.png</url><title>TEMI OLU: 📝 LETTERS &amp; JOURNALS</title><link>https://www.temiolu.com/s/letters-and-journals</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 08:04:10 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.temiolu.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Temitope Olusola]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[mizztemiolu@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[mizztemiolu@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[mizztemiolu@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[mizztemiolu@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[TRUSTING GOD'S PLAN]]></title><description><![CDATA[As humans, we like to see the whole map before beginning the journey.]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/trusting-gods-plan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/trusting-gods-plan</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 08:01:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:783324,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/192008035?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zf72!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f39a6c5-3509-42ab-817c-0d7a90ca44ed_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hey Lovelies,</p><p>Scripture reminds us in <strong>2 Corinthians 5:7</strong> that <em>&#8220;we walk by faith, not by sight.&#8221;</em> At first glance, those words may sound simple, but living them out requires a deep level of trust in God.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I understand that, as humans, we like to see the whole map before beginning the journey. We like confirmation that every step will lead exactly where we hope it will. We want reassurance that the risks we take in obedience will be rewarded quickly and clearly.</p><p>Instead, God often reveals His plans gradually, one moment of trust at a time, and it usual feel so uncomfortable. Our minds search for certainty, for evidence, for something tangible to hold onto. But faith gently asks us to release that need for control and place our trust in the One who sees far beyond the horizon we are standing on.</p><p>God&#8217;s perspective is not limited by what we can see in the present moment, because while we focus on today&#8217;s questions, He is already aware of tomorrow&#8217;s answers, and while we struggle to understand why certain doors have closed, He is quietly preparing pathways we have not yet imagined.</p><p>Remember, Faith is not blindness; It is trust.</p><p>It is the quiet confidence that even when the path ahead is unclear, God is still leading the way. It is choosing to believe that His way reaches further than our human understanding could.</p><p>Sometimes walking by faith means continuing to pray when the outcome feels distant. And sometimes it simply means resting in the assurance that God&#8217;s timing is unfolding exactly as it should, even when our own timeline feels disrupted.</p><p>What I have learned is that faith often grows strongest in unseen places. Looking back, many of us can trace God&#8217;s faithfulness through paths we never expected to walk. The very seasons that once felt confusing often become the ones where we later see His guidance most clearly.</p><p>The truth is, walking by sight may feel comfortable, but walking by faith transforms us.</p><p>It deepens our dependence on God.</p><p>It teaches us patience.</p><p>And it reminds us that our journey is not defined solely by what we can measure or predict.</p><p>So if you find yourself in a season where the road ahead feels hidden, take courage. Faith does not require that you see everything. It simply asks that you trust the One who does.</p><p><strong>With grace,<br>Your Favourite Online Sis </strong>&#129293;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[STRENGTH OF HUMILITY]]></title><description><![CDATA[Humility is a sign of power through submission rather than weakness.]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/strength-of-humility</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/strength-of-humility</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 08:01:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:669638,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/192006788?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TGu-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dc1887d-874a-4699-ab9b-ae704583a3da_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Dearest Reader,</p><p>To ensure that our voices are heard, we are urged to stand out from the crowd and prove ourselves. By many measures, strength is determined by visibility, power, and influence.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>However, a very different picture of power emerges when we examine the life of Jesus.</p><p>Unlike anybody else, Jesus commanded authority. He walked with a clarity of purpose that altered the path of history, worked miracles, and spoke with wisdom that puzzled academics. However, His life was marked by humility rather than arrogance or self-exaltation.</p><p>Instead of demanding honour at every turn, the Son of God showed strength that came from humility.</p><p>Humility is a sign of power through submission rather than weakness. Being truly humble does not include downplaying your value or acting as though your talents are unimportant. Rather, it is realising that God is the source of all your abilities, opportunities, and even your breath.</p><p>I want you to hold on to this truth that humility is more about aligning your hearts with God&#8217;s plan than it is about demeaning yourself. Jesus demonstrated that service, not dominance, is the way to real influence. No position can match the effect of a humble heart.</p><p>I pray that we all continue to follow His example because when we live with humility, we start to develop inner strength.</p><p>With Grace,<br><strong>Your Online Girl</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[RESTORATION OF JOY]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have been meaning to write this letter for a while, but I wasn&#8217;t sure where to begin.]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/restoration-of-joy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/restoration-of-joy</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 08:01:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1773368,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/192005973?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xV7q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3b4e12e-bd30-4180-9c0f-3dfdab2a234d_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Dearest T,</p><p>I have been meaning to write this letter for a while, but I wasn&#8217;t sure where to begin.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Although the phrase &#8220;restoration&#8221; sounds lovely, it is rarely easy to live through the process. My existence seemed to be more defined by loss than by rebirth for a very long time. There were times when it felt like everything I had worked so hard to create was slowly coming apart.</p><p>A relationship that I had thought would last forever ended abruptly. I recall sitting by myself one evening and reflecting on how my life had changed from what I had imagined only a few years before. What made it more difficult was the silent concern that perhaps things would never fully recover.</p><p>During that season, I read one of your reflections about trusting God in the middle of brokenness. Something in those words stayed with me; they reminded me that restoration is not always immediate, and that sometimes God rebuilds our lives in ways that are different from what we originally expected.</p><p>Even though I couldn&#8217;t see it yet, I clung to the hope that God was still at work, even if I wasn&#8217;t sure I truly believed it at the moment.</p><p>Ultimately, my relationship with God became more genuine than it had ever been, and a new relationship entered my life that was healthier and more encouraging than what I had previously experienced.</p><p>I no longer see that challenging season as a period of loss when I reflect on it. I see it as the start of a change that will ultimately bring me happiness once more.</p><p>I wanted to write this letter to anyone who might be going through a difficult time right now. God has a way of bringing beauty into areas where we formerly saw only endings, which is why restoration is true.</p><p>And when that healing occurs, happiness resurfaces in ways that seem even more profound.</p><p>And I am appreciative that you have created a place that serves as a reminder that God is continuously crafting our stories.</p><p>With gratitude,<br>A Reader Who Found Joy Again &#129293;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAIN]]></title><description><![CDATA[Faith is about who we become while having faith that the mountain will move, not just about witnessing it happen.]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/faith-that-moves-mountain</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/faith-that-moves-mountain</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:00:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:159698,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/192004735?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gxxt!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f90d06c-9799-4540-a9f1-2f3b32ea565c_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Sweetest Reader,</p><p>Although mountains can take many different forms in our lives, I&#8217;m not sure what mountain you might be facing at the moment. Some are obvious difficulties that we may readily identify, while others are silent burdens that lurk in the recesses of our hearts.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Over time, I&#8217;ve discovered that mountains frequently put our faith to the test rather than our patience.</p><p>However, faith is sometimes misconstrued. Many people believe that faith entails having complete confidence at all times. However, genuine faith seldom feels so polished; it sometimes manifests as continuing to trust God in the face of uncertainty and as whispering a prayer when doubt is still present.</p><p>When Scripture speaks about faith that moves mountains, this does not imply that extraordinary belief must be forced by sheer effort. Rather, it directs us toward a more profound reality: trust flourishes when it is rooted in God&#8217;s promises.</p><p>God&#8217;s promises are more than just transient comfort; they are statements about His personality. When God makes a promise, it is based on His faithfulness rather than on how our circumstances change.</p><p>On some days, the gap between where you are and where you think God is guiding you may seem insurmountable, like a mountain in front of you.</p><p>However, every time you choose to think that God&#8217;s intentions are still being carried out, even if you are unable to see the results just now, your faith is increased. Sometimes the mountain stays for a season because God is moulding something inside of us while we walk beside it, not because He has forgotten His promise.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Faith is about who we become while having faith that the mountain will move, not just about witnessing it happen.</em></p><p>So don&#8217;t be discouraged if you find yourself facing a mountain today. Your faith doesn&#8217;t have to be flawless. All it has to do is stay in touch with the faithful.</p><p>God has never broken any of His promises.</p><p>With Grace,<br><strong>Your Online Girl</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[THE POWER OF WORSHIP]]></title><description><![CDATA[Music is merely the medium.]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/the-power-of-worship</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/the-power-of-worship</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:01:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:545177,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/192002943?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Xif!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3738fcdb-14b1-4f4c-aa72-edb255cb8c6f_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hey Lovelies,</p><p>I used to believe that worship consisted solely of church singing. You know, the first fifteen or twenty minutes when everyone stands, music starts, and people sing along to well-known lyrics that are shown on a screen. </p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Of course, I took part, I raised my voice when others did, sang the melodies, and occasionally even closed my eyes when it seemed appropriate.</p><p>But there came a shift, I was sitting in a small service one evening when worship started, no lush scenes, no big audience, it was just a harmony of voices, some music, and a call to concentrate on God.</p><p>I sense that the atmosphere has changed, the songs became prayers that I found difficult to express on my own. I felt as though the weight I had been carrying was being gently lifted by every word. </p><p>My perspective changed immediately with much struggle, worship was accomplishing more than I had anticipated. It was reestablishing a connection between my heart and God.</p><p>I started to realise that worship is more than just music. Worship itself is the attitude of the heart turning toward God, choosing to acknowledge His presence, His goodness, and His sovereignty even in the face of uncertainty. Music is merely the medium.</p><p>Worship makes room for the kind of connection that replenishes standpoint, brings back serenity, and serves as a constant reminder of God&#8217;s presence. The lovely thing is that worship is not confined to a church.</p><p>It can occur in the solitude of your own house, during a morning prayer, while taking a stroll, or even when you stop in the middle of a typical day to give thanks to God. Worship starts wherever your heart turns to Him.</p><p>Keep in mind that every time you are in worship, you will find once more that a close relationship with God does not necessitate perfection.</p><p>With warmth,<br><strong>Your Favourite Girl</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A JOURNEY FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM]]></title><description><![CDATA[Letters from a Reader]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/a-journey-from-fear-to-freedom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/a-journey-from-fear-to-freedom</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:01:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1770642,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/191997834?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZ_7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F98bfaf7c-bbed-4f23-9b81-6ccee09b2b13_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hey Girl,</p><p>I&#8217;ve already rewritten this letter three times, not because the story has changed, but rather because it seems oddly vulnerable to acknowledge how much fear used to control my life. People frequently remark that I appear composed and even self-assured when they see me now because they didn&#8217;t see the extent to which silence and persistent fear have shaped my life.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>For years, fear dictated my choices, which is nothing new to you either. I shied away from doing new things because I was afraid of failing. I avoided people because I was afraid of being rejected. I always selected what made everyone comfortable but myself because I was afraid of disappointing them.</p><p>Outside, my life seemed to be stable. I put out a lot of effort, kept up friendships, and took what I thought were safe routes. On the inside, though, I felt stuck in a life moulded more by caution than by bravery.</p><p>I sat by myself in my room after your workshop sessions last month and kept asking myself the exact question you asked us.</p><p><em>What would my life look like if fear stopped leading it?</em></p><p>I was uneasy about that question since the truth was straightforward: many of my life&#8217;s boundaries weren&#8217;t actually obstacles. I had constructed these walls to keep myself from feeling uncomfortable.</p><p>At that moment, I couldn&#8217;t stop thinking about all you had taught in our workshops about having courage and trusting God during uncertain times. The phrase stuck with me for some reason. Not because they provided a quick fix, but rather because they made a suggestion that I had not previously given much thought to: freedom frequently starts with tiny steps of trust.</p><p>I started small, prayed truthfully, and told God about my fears rather than acting as though they didn&#8217;t exist. I started making tiny decisions in a different way, speaking up in situations where I would typically remain silent, taking advantage of possibilities that were a little daunting, and permitting myself to think that failure wouldn&#8217;t ruin me.</p><p>Although fear still sometimes shows up, it&#8217;s no longer in charge of the result. Rather than asking &#8220;What if this goes wrong?&#8221; &#8220;What if God is leading me somewhere better than I imagined?&#8221; I started to question.</p><p>I eventually stopped centring my life solely on what other people thought of me, and now that I&#8217;m looking back, I see that trust rather than perfection was always the antithesis of fear. Have faith that God will lead me even if I don&#8217;t have all the answers. Even while fear no longer resides here, there are still times when it tries to return.</p><p>Even though you always stress that you are also a work in progress and that fear could sneak in and question your conviction, I want to thank you, Temi, for creating a space where reflections like yours enable others like me to pause, reflect, and take those small daring moves.</p><p>With gratitude,<br>A Reader Learning to Walk in Freedom</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[LIVING OUT LOVE]]></title><description><![CDATA[Invitation to notice, reflect, and practice love rather than perform it.]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/living-out-love</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/living-out-love</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:01:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png" width="1080" height="1080" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1080,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1057999,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/183249539?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ky9o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F49beaa3d-a13d-4d46-9b89-599212906bfd_1080x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>My lovelies,</p><p>I&#8217;m learning that love, when rooted in Christ, is often quieter than we expect. It doesn&#8217;t rush, it doesn&#8217;t perform either and doesn&#8217;t exhaust itself to prove sincerity.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Living out love is not about being endlessly accessible; it&#8217;s about being intentionally present. There are moments when love looks like listening carefully before responding. Other moments when it looks like restraint, choosing not to explain yourself to everyone, choosing rest over reaction, choosing obedience over approval. These choices can feel countercultural, even misunderstood. Yet they are deeply faithful.</p><p>Jesus loved with clarity. He healed the crowds, but He also withdrew to pray. He showed compassion, yet He did not surrender His mission to every demand. His love was not careless; it was disciplined. And that discipline made His love sustainable.</p><p>In our daily lives, love is practised in ordinary decisions:</p><ul><li><p>How we speak when we are tired</p></li><li><p>How we respond when misunderstood</p></li><li><p>How we honour our limits without guilt</p></li><li><p>How we say no without resentment</p></li></ul><p>When we abandon ourselves to be liked, we don&#8217;t become more loving; we become depleted. And depletion eventually distorts even the purest intentions. </p><p>Living out love means trusting that God is not displeased when you choose wisdom. It means believing that obedience can be expressed through rest, structure, and discernment, not just sacrifice.</p><p>So today, if someone misunderstands your discipline, remember: love is not measured by how much you give away, but by how faithfully you give what you&#8217;re actually called to give.</p><p>I decree that Grace will meet you there.</p><p>With warmth,<br><strong>Your Favourite Girl</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[ANCHORED IN PURPOSE ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Finding God&#8217;s Design in Every Season]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/anchored-in-purpose</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/anchored-in-purpose</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:01:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:747671,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/182435446?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kdMG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a203817-0764-4700-b932-17afd4436a97_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Dearest Reader,</strong></p><p>There comes a moment in every believer&#8217;s life when the questions rise quietly within the soul: <em>&#8220;Why am I here?&#8221; &#8220;What has God placed in me that the world needs?&#8221; &#8220;How do I live out the purpose heaven imagined for me?&#8221;</em></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>If you&#8217;ve ever wrestled with these questions, you are not alone. Every person God created was crafted with intentionality, no misplaced detail, no wasted ability, no random season. Purpose isn&#8217;t something you stumble into; it is something God reveals as you walk with Him, step by step, season by season.</p><p>Many of us expect purpose to come as a loud announcement, a dramatic moment, a divine spotlight. But purpose often begins quietly like a whisper in prayer, a nudge in your spirit, a burden that won&#8217;t leave, or a gift that naturally flows from you. It grows in the unseen before it becomes visible. It matures through obedience before it becomes influence.</p><p>Purpose is not first about what you do; it is about who you are becoming. When you draw near to God, surrender your desires to Him, and commit your ways to His leading, purpose becomes clearer, steadier, and more anchored. Scripture reminds us:</p><p><em>Trust in the Lord with all your heart&#8230; and He will make your paths straight. </em>Proverbs 3:5&#8211;6</p><p>This means your purpose is not fragile. You cannot miss it by accident. You cannot ruin it by being slow. As long as your heart stays yielded to God, He will guide you into the path He prepared for you long before you even knew to ask.</p><p>Today, I want to gently remind you:<br>You were created intentionally.<br>You were placed on earth strategically.<br>You carry something heaven-authored and heaven-backed.</p><p>Even if the journey feels slow, confusing, or overwhelming, God is not late. You are not behind. You are not too small. Purpose unfolds in divine timing, not rushed, not delayed, but perfectly arranged.</p><p>This week, slow down and ask God: <em>&#8220;Lord, who are You shaping me into? What have You entrusted me with?&#8221; </em>And then wait. Listen. Pay attention to the stirrings of your soul.</p><p>Your purpose is already within you. God is simply helping you discover it, one step at a time.</p><p>With you on this journey,<br><strong>Your Online Sis&#129293;</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[EYES TO SEE]]></title><description><![CDATA[Learning to See the Steady Grace]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/eyes-to-see</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/eyes-to-see</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:02:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!obV6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fedd15652-749d-4e8a-870a-f0e35f8f7493_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Lovelies,</strong></p><p><em>           Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the                                  will of God in Christ Jesus for you.</em> 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>This week, I&#8217;ve been reflecting on how these verses are not just instructions but an invitation. It&#8217;s in small, intentional moments that our souls are shaped, our joy deepens, and our ability to flourish blooms.</p><p>Gratitude shifts our perspective from scarcity to abundance, from frustration to awareness, from comparison to contentment. It awakens us to the miracles we walk past daily, the breath in our lungs, the warmth of friendship, the quiet provisions of God, the unexpected mercies we didn&#8217;t even think to ask for.</p><p>But here&#8217;s the beautiful truth: this posture isn&#8217;t just a reaction; it is a way of living. A way of seeing. A way of remembering that God is always present, always working, always faithful.</p><p>Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to &#8220;Give thanks in all circumstances&#8230;&#8221; Not because every circumstance feels good, but because God is good in every circumstance.</p><p>When we choose to notice, to pause, to see His fingerprints even in the ordinary, we begin to experience a deeper kind of joy, one that isn&#8217;t shaken by change, delays, or disappointments. A joy anchored in the steadfastness of God.</p><p>This week, I invite you to pause and notice intentionally. Not the surface kind&#8230; but the quiet awareness that grows roots, strengthens the soul, and steadies the heart. Look back and see where God has been working all along:</p><ul><li><p>Even in seasons where you felt empty, He was feeding you.</p></li><li><p>In moments where you felt alone, He was surrounding you.</p></li><li><p>In days when you felt lost, He was guiding you.</p></li></ul><p>Seeing transforms us. It changes how we move, how we respond, and how we live. And in this noticing, you&#8217;ll discover a secret: a heart tuned to His presence is a flourishing heart.</p><p>This week, let your eyes be singled in my man&#8217;s voice, your mind, and your soul linger just a little longer on the quiet blessings, the small mercies, and the everyday miracles. In this practice, your heart learns to rest in Him, even when the world shouts for more.</p><p>With love,<br><strong>Your Forever Temi O</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[BRAVE ENOUGH TO STAND]]></title><description><![CDATA[Walking with God When the Waves Rise]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/brave-enough-to-stand</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/brave-enough-to-stand</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:01:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:625063,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/182425946?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_8jc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F95fb07b4-954e-4c72-862d-5d4f947713b1_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Boo Boo,</strong></p><p>First, I want to thank you. Thank you for the testimonies you share, for the moments you open your heart and let me in. Some of your letters have made me pause, and yes, even teary for a minute, because you trusted me with the tender parts of your journey. Your courage to be honest about your struggles, your doubts, your storms humbles me and reminds me why I do this work.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>After reading your stories, I am reminded that we are not meant to face life&#8217;s storms alone. And sometimes, even after learning to rest, receive grace, endure the stretch, pray with a willing heart, choose trust, notice joy, lay down old weights, and walk step by step with God, we find ourselves in a storm we didn&#8217;t expect.</p><p>Life can feel like a night that refuses to break, a storm you never prayed for. The winds of disappointment blow hard. And sometimes, if we&#8217;re honest, it feels like God is silent right when we need Him most.</p><p>But here is the gentle truth I want you to hold today: darkness is not the end of your story.</p><p>Storms are not proof that God has forsaken you; they are often the moments where He draws nearest, even if we cannot feel Him. Think of the disciples in Mark 4, waves crashing, fear rising, and yet Jesus was right there in the boat. The storm didn&#8217;t mean absence. The storm revealed His presence.</p><p>Maybe you&#8217;re walking through a personal storm, emotionally, financially, spiritually, or relationally. Maybe you&#8217;re holding on by a thread, trying to stay afloat when life feels heavier than usual.</p><p>Here&#8217;s the miracle: God&#8217;s light shines brightest in the darkest places, not when life is neatly arranged, but right in the chaos, right in the questions, right in the moments that threaten to break us.</p><p>I&#8217;ve learned that storms mature us in ways sunshine never can. They teach trust, deepen faith, reveal what cannot be shaken, and push us toward the God who still speaks, still saves, and still strengthens.</p><p>If you&#8217;re reading this in the middle of your own storm, let this be your comfort today:</p><p>You are not alone.<br>God is not late.<br>This will not drown you.<br>The light is already breaking in ways you cannot yet see.</p><p>Sometimes God calms you and teaches you to walk through it with grace, strength, and resilience you didn&#8217;t know you had.</p><p>Wherever you are, may His peace settle over your heart like a warm blanket. May His light guide the next step, even if you cannot yet see the whole road. And may you discover, day by day, that the storm you feared would break you becomes the testimony that builds you.</p><p>The Light is with you, and the dawn is closer than you think.</p><p>With Heartfelt Prayer,<br><strong>Temi Olu</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[STEP BY STEP]]></title><description><![CDATA[Rediscovering Peace in the Everyday Journey]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/step-by-step</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/step-by-step</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:01:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_Sbj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc48cb524-546b-4a49-83c0-f68a8ec2f6a1_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p><strong>Dearest T,</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I&#8217;ve been carrying this testimony in my heart for weeks, waiting for the right moment to put it into words. Today, I finally felt the gentle nudge to sit down and share what God has been doing in my life because even now, it feels like a miracle unfolding in slow motion.</p><p>When I first found your Bible plans and weekly letters, I wasn&#8217;t in a good place. I was overwhelmed, spiritually tired, and quietly wrestling with doubts I didn&#8217;t know how to name. I didn&#8217;t feel far from God&#8230; but I didn&#8217;t feel close either. It felt like standing outside a house with the lights on, knowing warmth was inside, but not knowing how to get through the door.</p><p>Something began to shift when I committed to the Bible plans. The daily verses, the reflections, and the way Scripture was shared gently, simply, and honestly started to loosen the heaviness I had been carrying. I wasn&#8217;t looking for a dramatic transformation; I was just hoping for a little encouragement in your words.</p><p>But God had more in mind.</p><p>As I showed up each day, one verse at a time, I began to notice small, quiet changes:</p><ul><li><p>My heart softened in places I had kept guarded.</p></li><li><p>My thoughts grew clearer and less anxious.</p></li><li><p>Prayer stopped feeling like an obligation and began to feel like breathing.</p></li><li><p>Old wounds slowly lost their sting.</p></li><li><p>Peace returned first in moments, then in waves.</p></li></ul><p>Last Monday, after reading your letter about laying the weight down, I cried for the first time in months. Not from sadness, but from relief. It felt like God reached into the tangled places of my heart and whispered, <em>&#8220;I still choose you. I am still here. Come home.&#8221;</em></p><p>That night, I made a quiet but life-changing decision:<br>I would trust Him again.</p><p>Since then, my journey hasn&#8217;t been perfect, but it has been undeniably different. I wake up with hope. I go to bed with gratitude. I carry less fear and more faith. And for the first time in a long while, I don&#8217;t feel like I&#8217;m chasing God or hiding from Him. I feel like I&#8217;m walking with Him unhurried, supported, and seen.</p><p>Your ministry didn&#8217;t just encourage me; it gently led me back to the One who restores what is broken and makes hearts whole again.</p><p>Thank you for obeying God.<br>Thank you for creating spaces where Scripture feels alive and accessible.<br>Thank you for meeting people where they are and trusting God to do the rest.</p><p>I am living proof that God still transforms hearts patiently, gently, completely.</p><p>With gratitude,<br><strong>A Reader Who Is Becoming Whole Again</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[LAYING THE WEIGHT DOWN]]></title><description><![CDATA[Releasing What Hurt Without Rushing the Healing]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/laying-the-weight-down</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/laying-the-weight-down</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:801286,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/182421835?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U3YJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd254960f-ff7a-4f8d-99f5-8c9b14feef2f_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Dearest Reader of Mine,</strong></p><p>There are certain weights we carry that do not appear heavy from the outside, yet our souls feel every ounce of them, such as unspoken hurts, unresolved memories, people we loved who disappointed us, people we trusted who broke something inside us, or moments when we needed protection and felt exposed instead.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Last year, I wrote openly about forgiveness and choosing to release the grudge I had carried against my aunt. I shared how I let it go, how God met me there, how freedom followed. And many of you reached out, some were encouraged, some were healed, and some were honest enough to say, &#8220;Temi, maybe it was easier for you because what she did wasn&#8217;t that deep.&#8221; Hmm, &#8220;Some wounds are heavier&#8230; Some hurts are harder to release.</p><p>                              And I want to say this clearly: I hear you.</p><p>What I didn&#8217;t share fully then is that the moment that broke something in me happened when my back was against the wall, when I was lying still on a hospital bed, suspended between life and death, vulnerable in a way words still struggle to explain. That moment mattered, that wound was real, and the pain was not light.</p><p>Forgiveness did not come because it didn&#8217;t hurt. It came because I could not survive while holding on to it. Forgiveness is not a soft word&#8230; Forgiveness is brave&#8230; Forgiveness is work&#8230; Forgiveness is a journey, and forgiveness is freedom.</p><p>Let&#8217;s do a bit of role play. I will hold your hand as I say this, looking straight into your eyes, <em>Forgiveness Is Not Forgetting.</em> Many people think forgiveness means pretending nothing happened. God never asks us to erase our memories. He asks to heal it. Healing does not come from minimising pain but from surrendering pain.</p><p>Forgiving does not mean what happened was okay; it means I refuse to let what happened become my prison. It means I release my right to revenge, my right to replay, my right to rehearse the wound, and I place the story back into God&#8217;s hands.</p><p>Forgiveness is a process because some wounds don&#8217;t leave all at once; it happens in layers. Some days it is a bold declaration and other days it is a whisper:  &#8220;Lord, I release this again. Please help my heart.</p><p>                       And God, gentle, patient, faithful, meets us every single time.</p><p>I am not asking you to rush, not asking you to deny your pain, not asking you to forgive because it sounds spiritual. I am asking you to believe that your heart deserves rest, that your future is too beautiful to be weighed down by yesterday&#8217;s wounds, that you were not created to live in emotional prisons.</p><p><strong>A Gentle Prayer for You<br></strong><em>Lord, take every place in me that still carries pain. Teach me to forgive, not by my strength but by Yours. Heal what was broken, restore what was lost, and make my heart whole again. Amen.</em></p><p>My gentlest reader, allow God to lift you and let His peace wash over you. Let forgiveness open the door to your flourishing. I am walking beside you&#8230; I am praying with you&#8230; I am cheering for your freedom.</p><p>This is your season to be free.</p><p>With love,<br> <strong>Your Favourite Temi</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[SACRED JOY]]></title><description><![CDATA[Learning to Notice God in the Small Victories]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/sacred-joy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/sacred-joy</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:01:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdYt!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f3bd9e5-c48e-41c1-a1ab-04ed3b280cd4_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Lovelies,</strong></p><p>After seasons of resting, receiving grace, enduring the stretch, learning to pray with a willing heart, choosing trust, and renewing the soul one verse at a time, we arrive somewhere tender and often overlooked: <strong>joy</strong>.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Joy is rarely something we stumble upon. Most times, it&#8217;s something we <em>notice</em>. And in a world that romanticises grand achievements, God gently reminds us that <strong>small victories often carry the loudest whispers of His faithfulness</strong>.</p><p>This is how I count joy, and you may disagree with me, and that&#8217;s okay. For me, joy doesn&#8217;t always look big or dramatic. Sometimes it looks like:<br> &#8226; Waking up with a little more strength than yesterday.<br> &#8226; Praying again after a week of silence.<br> &#8226; Choosing patience when frustration feels easier.<br> &#8226; Smiling for the first time after a long season of heaviness.<br> &#8226; Finishing a task you&#8217;ve postponed for months.<br> &#8226; Showing up imperfectly, but wholeheartedly.</p><p>We often tell ourselves that joy only counts when it&#8217;s big, when it comes wrapped in fireworks, breakthroughs, answered prayers, and harvest moments. But the truth is, God&#8217;s joy is often tucked inside the <em>ordinary</em>: the walk, not just the destination; the seed, not just the fruit; the breath, not just the victory shout.</p><p>Jesus didn&#8217;t rush through His journey on earth. He lingered&#8230; He sat at tables&#8230; He took walks&#8230; He shared stories&#8230; He rested&#8230; He listened.</p><p>And in doing so, He taught us something: There is joy in the middle, not just at the end.</p><p>This week, I want you to pause and ask yourself:</p><p><em>What small victory did I overlook? Where did God strengthen me quietly? What ordinary moment held unexpected grace?</em></p><p>You may not be where you hoped to be yet, but you are no longer where you used to be. And that, my lovely, is worth celebrating.</p><p>I declare this week, a week of gratitude, a week of joy and a week of realising that flourishing doesn&#8217;t always look like blooming, it often looks like <em>becoming</em>.</p><p>Here&#8217;s your gentle reminder:</p><p><strong>                                Joy grows where gratitude is planted.</strong></p><p>And every small victory is a sign that God is still working, still guiding, still carrying you forward. So today&#8230; celebrate the little things. God is in them.</p><p>With Joy,<br>Your Online Star Girl<strong> </strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[ONE VERSE AT A TIME]]></title><description><![CDATA[Healing Through Consistent Faithfulness]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/one-verse-at-a-time</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/one-verse-at-a-time</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:00:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:585388,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/182366240?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y86H!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff74c52f2-b43a-4d36-9029-aa51b109e108_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Dearest Gentle Reader,</strong></p><p>There are moments when you simply keep showing up, one prayer, one verse, one choice at a time. I received a message recently that moved me so deeply, I knew I had to share it with you with permission, of course. It is a reminder that God&#8217;s Word <em>works.</em></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I know, as you read it, you will find echoes of your own journey within her story.</p><p>She wrote:<br>                    <em>&#8220;Your Bible plan came to me during the darkest season of my life.&#8221;</em></p><p>She began reading in October 2025, mostly out of self-righteousness, not discipline. Everything felt heavy, her mind crowded, her emotions exhausted, her spirit convinced that God was silent. At first, she was inconsistent. She missed days. She forgot her prayers. She felt like nothing was changing. But by the second week, something <strong>soft started happening</strong> inside her.</p><p>Every morning, when she opened the plan, the Scripture felt like <strong>a small light teasing its way through the cracks of her heart</strong>. Some days, it comforted her; others, it confronted her. Some days, she cried without understanding why. But she kept going.</p><p>By mid-January, after reflecting on the word <em>Flourish</em>, she noticed a shift: she woke up with hope and went to bed with peace. For the first time in months, she could <strong>breathe without feeling overwhelmed</strong>. God had been reaching for her all along; she just needed to slow down enough to notice.</p><p>Today, three months later, she writes:<br>                <em>&#8220;I&#8217;m calmer. I&#8217;m clearer. I&#8217;m healing. And I&#8217;m beginning to trust God again.&#8221;</em></p><p>Her story reminds us that transformation rarely happens overnight. True renewal grows slowly, like a seed that breaks the soil long before anyone sees the bloom.</p><p>If you are still carrying heaviness, confusion, or distance from God, let this truth settle in: <strong>your heart is being restored</strong>, even on days you cannot pray. God is closer than you think, especially in the seasons that feel the most lost.</p><p>Keep showing up&#8230; Keep taking it one verse at a time&#8230; Keep giving God room to breathe new life into you. And I am cheering for you every step of the way.</p><p>With light,<br><strong>That Girl forever in your corner</strong> &#128155;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[HER SOUL CHOOSES]]></title><description><![CDATA[Finding Steady Trust Amid Doubt]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/her-soul-chooses</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/her-soul-chooses</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:00:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:439589,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/182363304?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2WCL!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae3eb7b5-a868-46cb-a474-7c70818285a6_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Lovelies,</strong></p><p>This week&#8217;s letter is inspired by a reader who shared her journey from deep doubt to steady trust. And maybe you will recognise pieces of your own heart in it too.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>She told me how she used to feel guilty for doubting, as though questions made her less spiritual or less faithful. She said, Temi, I prayed and felt nothing, read scripture and felt numb, worshipped and felt empty.</p><p><em>                                 Doubt is <strong>not</strong> the opposite of faith; abandonment is.</em><br><br>Somewhere along the path, not because her circumstances changed, but because her heart posture changed after the last letter of Prayer. She started showing up even when she didn&#8217;t &#8220;feel&#8221; it. She whispered prayers even when her heart felt cold. She opened her bible not for emotional fireworks, but for <strong>simple nourishment</strong>.</p><p>And slowly, peace returned not as fireworks, but as a <strong>gentle sunrise</strong>.</p><p>She said, <em>&#8220;I learned that trust isn&#8217;t a feeling. It&#8217;s a decision. A daily one.&#8221;</em> And I thought, Yes, Lord. This is it. This is where faith becomes real.</p><p>Because trust is choosing God <strong>again and again</strong>, even when we don&#8217;t understand Him. Trust is resting in His character when His timing confuses us. Trust is standing still when everything in us wants to run. Trust is releasing control and saying, <em>&#8220;Father, I believe. Help my unbelief.&#8221;</em></p><p>I don&#8217;t know what doubts you wrestle with or which tired places in your heart quietly ask, <em>&#8220;God, are you still here? </em>But I will hold your hand prayerfully as I say this: God is not offended by your questions. He is not intimidated by your doubts. He meets you in them.</p><p>And peace comes when we shift our eyes from what we don&#8217;t know&#8230; to Who we do know.</p><p>As you move through this week, remember: <em>&#8220;Even when my heart questions, my soul chooses You God.&#8221;</em></p><p>With love,<br><strong>Temi Olu</strong> (Reader narrator &#128513;)</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A WILLING HEART]]></title><description><![CDATA[Prayer as a Lifeline in Everyday]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/a-willing-heart</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/a-willing-heart</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:00:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:752340,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/182356827?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8Nkk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc37613ee-0fb2-4e96-9eee-d656c65072ec_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Yourest Of Honour,</strong></p><p>There are moments in life when all we can whisper is a simple prayer: <em>&#8220;Lord, help me,&#8221; and I have been there so many times.</em></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>                                               And somehow, God moves.<br>Prayer has a way of softening what is hard, healing what is broken, and revealing what has been hidden. Not because prayer itself is powerful, but because the God who listened and answered is infinitely powerful. A reminder, please: Prayer is not a last resort; it is your refuge&#8230; It is not a chore; it is communion&#8230; It is not a ritual; it is a relationship.</p><p><em><strong>                          Prayer Unlocks What You Cannot Open on Your Own.</strong></em></p><p>You might be praying for direction, healing, provision, rest, clarity, or courage. Or perhaps you don&#8217;t even know what to pray anymore. Here&#8217;s the truth: God takes every whispered prayer seriously, even the ones too heavy for words. </p><p>There is no wrong posture, no wrong time, no wrong words. He hears the trembling voice as much as He hears the confident one. He collects your tears as tenderly as He celebrates your praise. He responds in ways we see&#8230; and in ways we don&#8217;t yet understand.</p><p>When your prayer meets miracles, it doesn&#8217;t look like the dramatic parting of seas. Often, they look like:</p><ul><li><p>Peace, where worry once lived</p></li><li><p>Strength, where exhaustion once ruled</p></li><li><p>Ideas, where confusion once stood</p></li><li><p>Open doors, where everything felt shut</p></li><li><p>People, sent as answers</p></li><li><p>Provision, arriving in unexpected ways</p></li><li><p>Healing, happening step by step</p></li></ul><p>I know we live in times where groaning, dramatics, and endless spiritism are glorified, where it feels like we must have the perfect words or the longest prayers to be heard. But permit me to hold your hands while I say this;  You don&#8217;t need poetic words&#8230; You don&#8217;t need long sentences&#8230; You just need a willing heart.</p><p>Please pray honestly&#8230; Pray simply&#8230; Pray boldly&#8230; Pray consistently.</p><p>Let prayer become the atmosphere of your day: breathing in God&#8217;s presence, breathing out your fears, and resting in the assurance that He is near.</p><p><strong>A Journal Prompt for You:<br></strong><em>What miracle, big or small, have I seen God perform in my life recently? Where do I need to trust Him more through prayer this week?</em></p><p>I decree your faith rises, and you notice miracles in the everyday rhythm of your life.</p><p>With you in prayer,<br>Temi Olu<br>Flourishing beautifully, one week at a time.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Held in the Stretch]]></title><description><![CDATA[When Challenges Become Places of Growth]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/held-in-the-stretch</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/held-in-the-stretch</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!krxs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5d3f984-4085-4dd5-a050-89cd51fcc042_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Dearest Gentle Reader,</strong></p><p>I want to invite you into something quietly powerful in this week&#8217;s letter: finding God&#8217;s nearness in the very place you feel stretched. Throughout Scripture, God often met His people <em>in the midst of their challenges</em>, not after they escaped them:</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Moses saw the burning bush while hiding in fear.<br>Hagar heard God&#8217;s voice in the wilderness.<br>David&#8217;s worship rose from caves, not palaces.<br>Paul wrote words of courage while in chains.</p><p>Challenges have never been signs of God&#8217;s absence; they have always been invitations to notice His presence. My pastor (Chidi Nwajagu) said, &#8220;Challenges are the breakfast of champions, and I completely agree. It is in these moments, when life feels heavy or uncertain, that strength, courage, and growth are quietly nourished.</p><p>Maybe your current challenge is:</p><ul><li><p>Emotional: healing from wounds no one sees</p></li><li><p>Financial: stretching what feels too small</p></li><li><p>Spiritual: feeling dry, heavy, or unsure</p></li><li><p>Relational: navigating disappointment, silence, or change</p></li></ul><p>Whatever it is&#8230; God is not intimidated by your circumstances. In fact, He is <strong>shaping you through them</strong>, softly, tenderly, even when it doesn&#8217;t feel like progress.</p><p>This week, let your heart hold these truths:</p><p><em><strong>Faith doesn&#8217;t remove the tension; it reveals God within it.<br>Strength doesn&#8217;t mean you feel invincible; it means you lean on God while feeling weak.<br>Hope isn&#8217;t na&#239;ve; it&#8217;s courageous in the waiting.</strong></em><br></p><p>You, yes <em>you</em>, are growing stronger than you know. God is writing a story with your life, one sacred moment at a time. Every step of obedience is a seed, every tear is noticed, every prayer, even the quiet, exhausted ones, is heard.</p><p>If this week stretches you, let it stretch you. If it tests your patience, allow yourself to rest in it. Growth is happening beneath the surface, in ways your soul can feel even if your eyes can&#8217;t yet see. So be present and receive grace. And notice that even in the challenge, you are being held.</p><p>Keep flourishing in trust and resilience.</p><p>With love and hope,<br>Temi Olu</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[GRACE, GENTLY]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Reminder for the Days You&#8217;re Still Settling In]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/grace-gently</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/grace-gently</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:00:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/acd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:754668,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/182348876?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3IfN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Facd35683-7026-401a-a7a3-ac6129ada908_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Hi Lovelies,</strong></p><p>This year on the blog, we are journeying with the theme <strong>"FLOURISH," a word God placed in my heart long before today, in a quiet moment in July 2025,</strong> when I prayed for direction for the new year.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Flourishing doesn&#8217;t mean a life without ups &amp; downs. It means a life rooted so deeply in God that even in hard seasons, the seed still grows, the branch still stretches, and the soul still breathes.</p><p>Our first letter of this year invited us into His <em>presence by resting</em>, but this one invites us into <em>grace</em>. Because presence without grace can quietly turn into pressure. I know that for some of us, the first days of the year already feel heavier than you expected.</p><p><em>                                                                     Breathe.</em></p><p>God&#8217;s grace is not a reward for flawless people; it is a resting place for willing hearts. He is not waiting for you to become better before He comes closer. He is meeting you here: in the trying, the learning, the unsteady steps, the becoming.</p><p>Grace gently reminds us that: You can begin again&#8230; You are not behind&#8230; You are not disqualified&#8230; You are still loved, still chosen, still invited.</p><p>This year, flourishing will not be born from pressure or performance. It will grow quietly, through surrender, through softness, through choosing God over guilt and truth over fear. Through honouring progress, not perfection.</p><p>So I want to ask you, gently without urgency, without expectation: Where do you need grace today?</p><p>Grace for your emotions?<br>Grace for your pace?<br>Grace for your healing?<br>Grace for the parts of you that don&#8217;t yet have language?</p><p>Whatever it is, God already knows. And He is already offering what this moment requires: strength, forgiveness, clarity, peace and not because you&#8217;ve earned it, but because you are loved.</p><p><em><strong>You do not flourish by striving.<br>You flourish by resting in the One who holds you.</strong></em></p><p>So welcome this beginning not because the calendar turned a page, but because mercy has made room for you again. And it always will.</p><p>Here&#8217;s to embracing grace slowly, intentionally, without apology. Your soul deserves this softness. Your journey needs this space (Temi Olu Blog). And God delights in meeting you exactly where you are.</p><p>With love,<br><strong>Your Favourite Online Corner Sis</strong> &#127800;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[JUST PRESENCE]]></title><description><![CDATA[No Forecasts... No Timelines... Just Rest.]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/just-presence</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/just-presence</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:01:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:453911,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/i/182343164?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9fHJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f59bc1c-93ca-4a95-bceb-0420ba03bc32_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Hi Lovelies,</strong></p><p>As we step into 2026, I feel led to invite you into something gentle&#8230; something holy&#8230; something unexpected. <em><strong>REST.</strong></em> The kind of rest that <em>rebuilds you</em>. Before the year has even taken its first breath, we live in a world that greets every new year with noise: n<em>ew me</em>, new goals, new pressure, new timelines, new expectations.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I noticed something that stayed with me. My screen was filled with talk of <em>vibration numbers</em>, timelines, predictions, and tarot readings, people anxiously searching for what 2026 would bring, trying to decode the year before it even began.</p><p>I watched how worry crept in early and how pressure showed up before January arrived. And I thought to myself:<br><em><strong>What if we didn&#8217;t enter the year afraid of missing something?<br>What if we didn&#8217;t rush to define the year before it had a chance to unfold?</strong></em></p><p>In December, while studying the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth,  the parents of John the Baptist. God opened my eyes in a way I&#8217;ve never seen before. I saw them not just as biblical characters, but as mirrors.</p><p>Zechariah&#8230; A priest, faithful, busy, always showing up for duty, always moving, always ready to serve. And yet, the unanswered prayers he carried for years had quietly become part of his identity. Not because he didn&#8217;t believe God could move&#8230;but because the situation had lasted so long that he couldn&#8217;t see himself outside the problem anymore.</p><p>And I realised how easily this happens to us too, when a season stretches longer than we expected, we begin to identify ourselves by our struggles.<br> &#8220;I&#8217;m the one still waiting.&#8221;  &#8220;I&#8217;m the one who hasn&#8217;t broken through yet.&#8221;  &#8220;I&#8217;m the one with the long-standing issue.&#8221;</p><p>We stop <em>having</em> a problem and start <em>being</em> the problem. And when that happens, it becomes easy to understand why so many people rush for answers before a year even begins. When delay has shaped your identity, silence feels unsafe and waiting feels unbearable.</p><p>So we look for predictions, search for timelines, listen to tarot readings, vibration numbers, and forecasts. Hoping someone else will name the year for us, define the outcome for us, and tell us when the waiting will finally end.</p><p>Out of exhaustion and out of fear of another year like the last.</p><p>But Elizabeth was different; she waited too, carrying the same unanswered prayer. Yet she was not consumed; she lived in quietness, not resignation, but trust. And it was in that quiet space that God moved.</p><p>As 2026 begins, I want to invite you to do something countercultural, resist the urge to define the year before you&#8217;ve lived it, the pressure to chase certainty before peace, and flee from the voices that insist you must know <em>everything</em> before you take your next step. You are allowed to enter 2026 without predictions, without timelines or labels shaped by past delays. You are not the sum of what hasn&#8217;t happened yet.</p><p>Like Elizabeth, you can choose quietness, not as avoidance, but as trust. You can allow this year to unfold gently, day by day, without forcing meaning or rushing outcomes. Let this be a year where you rest enough to hear clearly.</p><p><em><strong>You do not need to know everything to move forward.<br>You only need enough peace to stay present.</strong></em></p><p>I pray that 2026 will meet you softer than you expect and may you discover that rest is not the opposite of growth.</p><p>With all my love,<br>TEMI OLU (YOUR FAV ONLINE GIRL)</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This work is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[End Of The Year Letter]]></title><description><![CDATA[I can hardly believe we are here, the last letter of 2025.]]></description><link>https://www.temiolu.com/p/end-of-the-year-letter</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.temiolu.com/p/end-of-the-year-letter</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[TEMI OLU]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 09:00:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ogd-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F63e5b892-3bcc-4785-af52-e28f50d8ad74_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ogd-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F63e5b892-3bcc-4785-af52-e28f50d8ad74_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ogd-!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F63e5b892-3bcc-4785-af52-e28f50d8ad74_1080x1350.png 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ogd-!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F63e5b892-3bcc-4785-af52-e28f50d8ad74_1080x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ogd-!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F63e5b892-3bcc-4785-af52-e28f50d8ad74_1080x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ogd-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F63e5b892-3bcc-4785-af52-e28f50d8ad74_1080x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ogd-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F63e5b892-3bcc-4785-af52-e28f50d8ad74_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hey Lovelies,</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.temiolu.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I can hardly believe we are here, the last letter of 2025.</p><p>Before I share what is on my heart, can I pause to simply say <strong>thank you</strong>? Thank you for opening these letters, for letting me walk into your inbox week after week, for allowing me to sit with you in both your quiet mornings and your heavy nights. Thank you for writing back, for sharing your testimonies, for letting me know that these words have met you in real moments of joy, fear, transition, and restoration.</p><p>When I started this blog, I had no idea what it would become, but somehow, through every devotional, every journal entry, every fictional moment, we have built something sacred here. Together, we have cried, prayed, and found God&#8217;s fingerprints in unexpected places. We have seen that even in the dark, light still comes.</p><p>And so I want to leave you with this promise as we close the year: <strong>you will rise again.</strong></p><p>I know this not because it sounds pretty or poetic, but because I have lived it. I have been knocked down by grief, by disappointment, by seasons that stretched me until I didn&#8217;t know what was left of me. But one day, the grief softened into gratitude. One day, the pain stopped being the headline of my story and became a quiet, redemptive chapter.</p><p>Micah 7:8 says,</p><blockquote><p><em>&#8220;Though I have fallen, I will rise.<br> Though I sit in darkness,<br> the Lord will be my light.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote><p>Lovelies, this is more than poetry; it is prophecy. And today, I speak it over you: The season you thought would break you will not have the last word. The night will not last forever. The heaviness will not stay this heavy.</p><p>Hold on, even if all you can hold onto is one breath at a time. Morning is coming. Hope is coming. And when it does, you will rise stronger, softer, and more radiant than before.</p><p>And next year? Oh, next year, we will keep building together. We will pray, laugh, learn, and grow even more than we have this year. New letters are waiting to be written, new devotionals that will meet you right where you are, new stories to tell, and new moments of breakthrough waiting for us both.</p><p>So tonight, as you close the chapter on this year, lift your head. Whisper to your own heart: <em>&#8220;I will rise again.&#8221;</em> And believe it. Because the One who has carried you this far isn&#8217;t done with your story yet.</p><p>Here&#8217;s to rising together.<br>Here&#8217;s to the year ahead, full of light, healing, and holy surprises.</p><p>With all my heart,<br> Temitope Olusola (I LOVE YOU ALL)</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>