The ‘Heart Doctor Of Sunflower’

Oof the most viral videos the past week was that of Bishop TD Jakes passing over the ministry baton to his daughter Sarah. While this is a church development, it has a lot of impactful life and leadership lessons to chew on.

So, regardless of religion, today’s feature will look at the principles of management, leadership and society’s impact from the partial handover by the hugely famous preacher. If you are not into any religion, just read along in the context of the principles, and you may find a few valuable nuggets from the trending public event.

Bishop Jakes surprised his daughter by handing over the giant ‘Woman, Thou Art Loosed’ ministry to her. The likeable and prolific preacher passed the baton at the grand finale conference, noting that this was not an ending but a beginning.

The Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Conference has run for more than 25 years to become a global movement. Jakes symbolically passed the torch to his daughter to carry on his legacy of ministry and conference for women.

The video, which needs tissues because it may cause you to cry if you are an emotional person, displays a lacking trait sometimes in society, that of present fathers and the ability to empower and invest in the next generation.

It reminds us of the role we have to play in leadership to plan for tomorrow, even in community leadership, business or any role we are given to, always have someone or more ready to run with the baton.

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know today is not Valentine’s Day and not any close to it, but I really felt the need to share this with you. I was watching a true life-based movie, ‘Double Life,’ and it touched my heart, hence I had to share it with my readers. It is a motivation on love, which I know some of you might have given up on.

Olivia Klein is addressed as ‘the heart doctor’ because she was not only a house keeper or a wife to her husband Godden, but the god fairy of the heart. Two writers who had been tasked with the job were interviewing the couples united by Olivia and I took notes to write this article.

All her life she matched couples and practically united those who loved each other. She lived in a small town called the ‘Sunflower’ and she got married to the love her life, Godden. Following why she had it in her heart to unite those who love each other,

Watching the video, I recalled FNB’s innovative Father’s Day video last year, where the children shared what they learnt from their fathers, from driving to saving money. We cannot overemphasise the importance of present and impactful fathers in repairing society’s declining fabric.

There is also a lesson in meritocracy in this handing over of the baton to the young lady. Meritocracy is a system, organisation, or society in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence based on their demonstrated abilities and merit. If you search for any video of a sermon today by Sarah Jakes Roberts, you will tell in just a few minutes that she is a deeply anointed woman of God and a rock star public speaker.

Anointing his daughter with oil, Jakes said: “With every drop of oil that falls upon your head, may the strength and power of the Almighty God rest upon your life.”

Interestingly, the bishop also states that he is not appointing Sarah because she is his daughter it has been found that her parents wanted her to marry a Mayor but she followed her heart and got married to Godden. The people of Sunflower regarded her as the mother of the town. She paid attention to their matters of the heart. Olivia could smell a crisis between lovers and would be restless until she united them. She tried all her best to make sure true love won and keep it alive. It is heart-warming that some of the couples she matched are still happily married.

In an interview with a couple that was a product of Olivia, Freddy mentioned that when he met Beddy he knew the very first time that he wanted to marry her but his family could not allow that. “I tried sending letters to her but she never replied any of them.”

Olivia met Beddy at a coffee shop all sad and devastated and she told Olivia about Freddy, how she never got to hear from him yet she loved him dearly. Olivia took it upon herself and went to New York city where Freddy and his parents reside. Olivia chatted a bit with his parents and she also found that the parents bribed the but because she has a calling. He also makes an interesting proclamation that he is proud of her, not because she is a pastor, but because he would have even been proud if she was unemployed or a street sweeper. “I have watched you grow from my baby girl into a leader, change-maker, and influencer with a reach far beyond generations of women.

“You’ve touched the lives of so many, and as your earthly father, I’ve never been prouder!” he says. Words most children would love to hear in adulthood. That is what true fatherly love is all about. And it is also Biblical to love others just as our God loves us even though we may be imperfect; because, as the saying goes, we are imperfect people serving a perfect God.

One meme channel showed a pastor mocking motivational speakers recently and quoted that the likes of bishop Jakes speak of your time coming, yet what all people must do, according to the pastor, is get up and start somewhere than wait. That message takes all Jakes’ teachings out of context because no pastor or motivational

postman to not deliver the letters to Beddy. After a nice, soft chat she managed to make Freddy’s folks to accept their relationship and they got married. Fortunately, that was not the only couple she matched but also Michael and Lee. Michael met Olivia at a cafeteria secretly staring at Lee and said, ‘you love that girl’. Apparently, this couple grew up together. They started as friends because Michael had cold feet on expressing his love to Lee, hence he kept it as a friendship relation. Then came the prom night, which is the most special day of high school, and he failed to ask her to be his date. Lee was disappointed in Michael because she loved him and wanted him to ask her out. As always, Olivia came to their rescue, she organised a romantic date for them and they were able to express their feelings. “I cried and she cried,” said Michael.

“Everyone deserves to love and to be loved,” those were Olivia’s sentiments. To her, love was a beautiful thing and something needed to be cherished. But at some point she was right, we all deserve love no matter what has happened. To some, their partners died and after that they gave up on love but the truth is; no one should close the door to love forever. speaker has ever spoken of sitting and twiddling your thumbs and waiting for a pot of gold to drop on your lap. They all speak of hard work and faith in what you want to achieve.

They talk about using Biblical principles for being the manual for success. This Sunday at a Financially Free sermon, the pastor preached about how Biblical principles shared by Dr John Maxwell had helped thousands of businesspeople achieve massive success. Again the word and action.

Dr Maxwell advises on knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others. You can see by this definition why success is a journey rather than a destination.

The much-travelled bishop was once also in the kingdom of Eswatini in 2008, then called Swaziland.

The Times of Eswatini reported that some churches were cancelled as all roads led to the Mavuso Trade Centre, where Bishop Jakes delivered a sermon. It stated that over 10 000 people were at

In the point of partners who have died, the two writers interviewed one last product of Olivia. Unfortunately, Dean Richard’s wife, Jane had passed away. Apparently, he owned a large sunflower garden.

“Jane and I were travelling in a train, sitting together and me being me I was scared of starting a conversation and the train jerked, she spilt her coffee on me and we started talking. We laughed and I knew that this is us forever.” Beautiful, right?

Before she could step down from the train, she wrote her number and address in a napkin and gave it to Dean but the wind blew that away. “I was disappointed, thought that I will never meet her again.”

Olivia, who was a friend to Dean’s mother, came to visit and he told her everything.

Olivia took it upon herself and went through all telephone numbers and banks to find Jane and she finally did.

“I called Jane and she was surprised to hear from me and we started talking and the talking did not end, she was my forever.” Dean and Jane got married and named their child ‘Olivia’. According to Dean, it was the least they could do to show gratitude to Olivia for uniting them.

This is so heartfelt. Indeed, the trade centre in anticipation of seeing Jakes, who is from America. Apparently, people started pouring in from 10 am, and they braved the scorching sun in October while patiently waiting for the Bishop to take the stage. While waiting, the people were treated to some good music from the Potter’s House choir.

Also, a local choir made up of different church choirs kept the people entertained with music. The report adds that at 1:45pm, Bishop Jakes took to the podium, and much to the crowd’s excitement, some screamed their lungs out upon seeing the man of God.

Upon taking the stage, Jakes greeted the thousands of people who had gathered to hear him preach the Word of God. The global influencer has also been a regular feature on the Global Leadership Summit, which is also hosted in Eswatini.

He is featured via videos nonetheless, the particular messages he shares at such leadership summits are life-changing and last in you for ages.

I will not go into the life story of Sarah, you can search that on your own, but she is an example that your past does not define you, and you can be anything you seek to be in this world as long as you have faith and, yes, put in the hard work.

Sarah is redefining what it means to be a modern woman of faith. Her messages spread worldwide, defying cultural, religious, gender, and socioeconomic boundaries.

Through her bestselling books, sermons, and viral messages, she reaches people who are seeking to make peace with their past, maximise their present and deepen their relationship with God.

Her elevation to lead the ministry is just another lesson that as long as you still live, God is not done with you and your best days are yet to come.

Wishing you a happy new month and that as you set your goals for the last quarter of 2022 you do so in faith knowing that nothing is impossible when you are focused and put in the hours.

everyone deserves a chance to love and be loved. Olivia knew how to connect those that love each other, she just knew. Maybe it is time you give love another chance because you also deserve to be happy. I may not know what made you to be out of the field of love, but hey another chance won’t hurt. Who knows maybe you will be happy after that. Olivia Klein was surely a gem of a person; she would use her resources to unite those who love each other.

I wonder if someone would do that at this time and age. But you will agree with me that in the 1800s, those were the days. Nowadays, people put themselves first before others and that is just making a drift between us. Last week, Illa Pennboy, an artist here in Eswatini, hosted a vintage party, the theme was,

and it reminded me that the old days are meant to be honoured. Well, the new generation is just wow.

You should know that sometimes giving it another chance would work out. Do not give up on your happiness. Oprah Winfrey once said:

“You are not your past. You are not all the things that have happened to you. You are the possibility of what can be.” Till next week fellows. For comments, mkhabelanamhla@gmail.com.