Hey Friend,
Let me tell you a story that I’m sure some have heard before, if you’ve followed for a while, but it never gets old. Back in 2016/2017… That time, blogging was a big deal. I knew deep down I had something in me. 'Something that I wanted to express. Something that I wanted to write. But ...who born you Ugonne? Who is you? 😅 I didn’t have the courage at all to launch out, so I settled for a group blog with a few friends. I still remember my first post: Warning: Glory is Immensely Heavy.”
Kai. It took everything in me to write it. I was proud of myself, and in my mind...a new dispensation had just begun. “I’ll write a blog and post every week.” I thought, but I will soon discover that ....”Writing no be water” aka Writing is hard.
In all of 2017… I wrote four blog posts. As in F-O-U-R. In 365 days. Haha! Of course… the blog died. But that same season? God introduced me to a teacher. Through my dearest sister, Eziaha Bolaji Olojo, I encountered messages from the general herself, PDDK (Pastor Debola Deji Kurunmi).
I was a regular visitor to Eziaha’s blog back then, and she wrote an interesting 3-part blog series and recommended we drop our emails to receive the audio messages she was sharing from. I dropped my email and couldn’t explain why I was so excited. When I saw her mail, I couldn’t wait to get home from work to listen to the messages. I can’t forget those powerful messages by DDK -
Prophetic Motherhood
Warrior on Heels
When Women Pray
It was 2 am in the morning. I sat, I stood, I paced, I cried, I groaned, and I prayed with all my heart. Those messages left a dent in my soul, and that was when I knew that God had sent me a teacher, so I followed closely. A few months down the line, DDK started sharing excerpts from her soon-to-be-released book, Firebrand
Ahhh. I didn’t play with it. I would literally transcribe her posts into my journal. Read them. Reread them. Pray with them. It was intense. It felt like… “This woman understands something my soul has been trying to say.”
And as I followed her…As I listened…As I learned…I received permission. Permission to show up and start. And that was how I launched my first personal blog, which is how my writing journey truly began. Today? I write consistently. I write newsletters and emails like this. I create content. I am the author of many books. And much more is coming in the future. And I help others partner with God to birth their own books. Even me sometimes, I feel like... “Lord, how did we even get here... Is this really my life? Who am I that you are so mindful of me????” 😭
Let me tell you the truth: One of the clearest signs of God’s hand on your life… Is when you begin to recognize your teachers, midwives, mentors, mothers and models in the spirit; All the amazing people that God sends with:
Wisdom
Illumination
Strategy
Revelation
People who answer questions you didn’t even know how to ask. And today, I just want to publicly honor one of them.... My mama, PDDK, as she turns another year older.
Thank you, DDK. Thank you for saying yes to God. Because your yes… became clarity for me. There are so many things I’ve learned from following her that have shaped my life and my work deeply, but I will just share three:
1. Visionary Articulation
Before now, I used to just “feel led” and move. Everything shifted when I caught a glimpse of how DDK documents vision. So now, I must document o. I must write or design something along the lines of the assignment or work I have to do, and it helps me think deeply and articulate my vision with clarity.
Because I understand now that vision is not just inspiration… It is intelligence. It is work. It is partnering with God to translate what is in His heart into something tangible. And this changed everything for me…even how I am building The Birthing Bootcamp.
2. The Value of Wisdom
Hmmmmm.This one is Life-changing. DDK is wonder-working wisdom on two feet. She showed me that wisdom is not optional. It is valuable. Proverbs 23:23 in The Message (MSG) translation reads: “Buy truth…don’t sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight.”
DDK is the reason I understand and live by this. I long for wisdom. As much as I can afford to or not, I pay for the rooms that I feel I need. I read books, sit under teachings, and create space for growth.
Because at the end of the day? Your mind is one of your greatest assets. And I’ve learned to partner with the Holy Spirit in receiving, unpacking, and applying wisdom. I am not where I want to be, but I am glad that there is progress.
3. The State of Your Heart
Heyyyyy…This one is deep. DDK doesn’t just teach it, she genuinely lives it. The state of your heart matters. Having an operating system of love in every area of your life is a force that gives you weight, power, and presence.
A pure and clean heart. Free from guile. No pretense. No being one thing here and another thing somewhere else. Just truth and authenticity……and being who you are. This is something I’m still growing in every day. To live from that place of love, of truth, of alignment.
It’s a place of power. It’s how Jesus lived. And I’ve come to see that this is not just something to admire, it’s something to pursue in a real, practical way.
Because I’ve seen the results. I’ve seen the impact. And I want that for myself. A genuine pursuit of God.
And here’s where I want to tie this back to you. Because this is not just about my story. This is about what happens when someone:
Encounters truth
Receives guidance
And then expresses it
Through writing. Because one blog… One message… One book… Can change everything. I am a living witness.
So today…From the depths of my heart:
Thank you, DDK.
Thank you for being born.
Thank you, God, for 8.4.84.
Thank you for your obedience.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PDDK! My prayer for you is simple: That your light will never go dim. That you will remain immersed in God. That you will continue to be salt and light at the highest level, in every room God sends you into.
Now, if you enjoyed reading this message, kindly go to her page today. Leave a comment. Share her post. Celebrate her. And even better…Give her a birthday gift by sponsoring young Gen Z leaders into her program, Emerging Leaders Collective.
If that’s something you feel led to support? Click here to check it out and be a part of it. Let’s not just celebrate with words. Let’s participate in what she’s building.
And Scribe…Maybe this is also your nudge. To recognize your own teachers.
To lean in. And to finally express what God has placed inside you. Because your story?
It’s not small. Write it.
—With heart rooting for you,
Ugonne Ann (Book Positioning Strategist & Author Coach)