“PapaGod, is it that you don’t want me to know what happened? Or perhaps you are testing my patience, to see if I can trust you totally on this matter? I just need to know. Sometimes, the not knowing almost hurts more than the pain of my loss. Sometimes I feel like I am sinking under waves of pain”.

“Salt, please get over yourself. Go out there and help others going through the same thing and leave the rest to me. To stop sinking save someone else from drowning”

At first, I thought that response was rather harsh but then I got it. God loves me and if I am in the centre of His will, all that transpires is from a place of Agape love. Even when I don’t get it; especially when I don’t get it. Trusting God’s unquestionable love is the key to my peace.

So I wiped my tears, blew my nose and got up from my place of weeping and began to write. Hosting Sholly’s annual Rising event is the outcome of that meeting with my PapaGod at the 2017 Return of the Helper meeting.

Our first event took place in September 2017 and was tagged’ Sinking With Grief yet Rising With Purpose’. Our second, ‘When Life Goes Low, We Rise Up’ event held in September 2018.

These gatherings provide safe spaces for people to be open about their grief, honour their pain and figure out how to move forward throughand fueled by their pain.

September is Sholly’s birth month and we host Rising the Saturday after her birthday.  September 25. So every year, we get to celebrate Sholly in a deeply meaningful way.

There is just no way we can love, trust, obey, serve God or enter his rest till we fully understand how much he loves us. God’s love is the foundation of our spiritual lives. 

Sadly, it would appear that many walk around with only head knowledge of this love. Just look around our world today at all the darkness, frustration and depression!

Would this be the case if more people fully comprehended the length, depth, height and width of God’s love for them?

We don’t think so and that is why the Shola Adefolalu Gaska Foundation aka the Sholly Smile Factory has chosen to organise a Talk series on this seemingly ‘fluffy’ yet vitally important topic.

You see, in addition to our belief that Love has the power to conquer evil and depression, we also understand that our faith works by love. Many of our prayers are being hindered by unforgiveness and bitterness. 

We want to help ourselves and others understand how the knowledge of how much God loves us IS the DOOR via which we walk into our Abundant and truly Impactful Lives here on earth.

Do you seek such an Agape-Love infused and driven life? Then come for these talks. We host them in March and July every year and we trust God to bring us Speakers and Panelists  that are passionate about having a God-shaped heart.