akuaasabea: July 2024

Conflicts erupt because we want something that God has given to a friend, colleague, relative or neighbour. Instead of simply asking God for what we need, we try to get what He's given to someone else...but God has something GOOD for each of us...We don't need what belongs to anyone else...and we certainly never need to harm anyone to get what we need. Don't pull someone down or sit on anyone's promotion because you think you deserve to be at the top. There's enough space at the top for everyone...Our Heavenly Father has more than enough for us all....for 'the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof...the world and all they that dwell in it...the cattle on a thousand hills are His...silver and gold are His...honour, beauty, favour, glory, promotion, etc come from HIM! Halleluyah!

FB -May 22nd 2012

With D'Emefa

"You Follow Me"

In the middle of my real struggle with sinful comparison, the Lord arrested my heart with a conversation that took place in the Bible between Jesus and Peter, and it reset my course. This was the third time Jesus’s disciples recognized him following his resurrection, and John recorded how Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to reaffirm his love for his Savior—one for each of the times he had denied knowing the Lord. But it was what they talked about next that really caught my attention. As Peter walked and talked with Jesus, assured of his Lord’s full forgiveness and having restated his love and commitment to him, Peter noticed John. He asked Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” (John 21:21). In Peter’s question, I hear my own: “Lord, what about her? What about that other mom at the park? What about my neighbor down the street? What about the woman sitting across the aisle from me at church? What’s her story, and how will it turn out? Will it be easier or harder than mine? Will she suffer more or less than I will?” Jesus answered, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:22). I wonder if his answer to anyone who asks such questions today is similar. This may sound harsh, but please bear with me in applying this idea to some of the tender places of the heart in order to make a point. If it’s the Lord’s will that another woman’s child be well and yours be sick, what of it? If it’s the Lord’s will that another woman get pregnant easily and it takes longer for you, what of it? If it’s the Lord’s will that her path be smoother than yours, what of it? I cringe even writing and rereading those questions, but here’s my point: Why does the Lord’s will for another woman’s life matter so much to us? It doesn’t change the imperative: “Follow me!” We may never understand why God says yes to one woman and no to us. God isn’t bound to explain his reasons to us. But context matters. So does the speaker. When Jesus essentially told Peter not to trouble himself about John’s story, he did so in the very same conversation that affirmed the love between them. And in light of our heavenly Father’s love for us, demonstrated in sending Jesus to die on the cross and rescue us from our sin, we can trust him when he says that he doesn’t withhold anything good from his faithful daughters (Ps. 84:11). If our good Father, who loves to give good gifts to his children (Luke 11:13; James 1:17), says yes to her and no to you or me, then he must have a greater good in mind. These are hard truths to swallow, but we can swallow them because we know the goodness of the one who first spoke them. It’s possible to both lament our losses and delight in Christ’s love for us.

"You follow Me" part by Katie Faris: https://www.crossway.org/articles/the-secret-of-contentment-in-motherhood/

July 31, 2024 No comments

July 22, 2024 No comments

...Once upon a time, in April 2016, I missed a connecting flight from Schiphol (Amsterdam Airport) to Dubai....I wasn't happy, but I wrote :)....My friend, Tosin, says, "the pen doesn't judge us" ...so we get to write down thoughts that we look back on, and smile :)

I am on my way back home....from Dubai to Accra...after learning some hard lessons....but maybe like Psalmist David, I can say 'it was good for me that I suffered.' Yes, money has been spent which I wish were used for something else, but I guess some great lessons just need to be paid for. I can't say I fully comprehend yet, all the good that has happened out of 'this bad situation' but Lord, I bless Your Name, and I pray that all that You want me to do with these experiences and lessons will be done in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Leave it better than you met it

I just came back to my seat from the washroom...I met it in a not-so-good state but I think I left it better. :)...Travel stories along some routes on some days; there's sometimes no space in the overhead lockers for others because some don't travel light :)....almost every food and drink item on the plane gets used up because we eat and drink everything that is passed around, and make all kinds of requests! :)....and the washroom is sometimes a mess...:)

While slightly cleaning up the washroom, I thought about the 'bold' statement above ie 'leave it better than you met it'. Whatever the state of anything we meet or inherit, we should make it better for the next person and leave a better legacy. Yesterday I spent sometime reading about Chinese mothers and wanted to find out a bit about their motherhood styles, because I realize they do very well in passing down valuable traditions (like language) and good ethics (like hard work) to their children, no matter which place on earth they find themselves living! The stuff I read also mentioned a bit about their flaws in this area, example, sometimes they never praise children and put too much pressure on them to excel to keep the family name (especially parents who have only one child) ....but hey, I have already resolved that whatever is good needs to be learnt and passed on, and whatever is bad should be left behind! That's the way to go! :) Bottom line is that we should constantly evaluate ourselves and note down the things we have (education, ethics, language, etc) and resolve to pass on more than what we have to the next generation. Most of us agree with what I have just written, however, the challenge is that we mostly think of 'what we have' in terms of material things.

Most of us say we want a 'better life' for our children, but sadly what most of us mean by that is some lands for them to inherit, or a built-apartment for them before they marry, or an investment package of some sort, or many other 'good' stuff. All these are good, but what would fall in the category of 'better' or 'best'? Jesus said to Martha, 'you are worried and troubled about many things, but Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her'. What are some examples of 'better' and 'best' things that we could leave for the next generation?

Looking back at my life, I see my parents gave me more than they had...and that said, I don't mean money or possessions at all. I realize that experiences are very essential for children, and we will do well to give our children as many varied experiences as possible. At one Parents' Meeting at Nouvel Community Academy, we learnt that a person's personality / career / profession is a sum total of all the experiences that person has in his/her lifetime. Though this was a meeting at a school, the emphasis was not on learning / academic experiences alone. My siblings often recount amazing experiences from their growing-up years; and I make reference to their experiences and not mine because they are much older than I am and saw more than I did in those years. My brother, Fo Imma, often refers to times when - (they/we)..(depending on which year it was, I may or may not have been present because I am the last-baby by about 7 years!) - the family went to the Logos Hope ship (whenever it docked in Ghana) to buy books. Papa and Mama love books and never stopped book-shopping. No wonder most of us (their children) love reading to date. Fo Imma also mentions times when we (they) visited the airport just to watch planes that were arriving and departing...(in those days, the Kotoka International Airport was 'more open' than it is today; we could go in and have meals and watch planes at leisure.

Some experiences are priceless and leave indelible marks on young minds. In being intentional in our parenting, those are the kind of experiences we should strive getting for our children. God is not calling us to do anything that is impossible, but as I mentioned, we should offer the next generation more to explore, than we have gotten. The world is huge, and we need to carefully craft out which experiences (and the best timing for that exposure) that our children would need. I am watching a documentary on 'Batkid Begins' on today's flight: a moving documentary about the day San Francisco transformed into Gotham City to fulfill the wish of a boy with Leukemia. When the 'Make A Wish Foundation' appealed for help with the task online, they were met by an unprecedented outpouring of goodwill from strangers who came together to give a little boy the most amazing day of his life.

The fact is, we don't always have to wait for our children to be sick or dying to give them amazing days...everyday can be amazing if we're intentional about it. It's easy to fall into 'auto-pilot' mode when it comes to parenting, especially considering that we're mostly busy and have our hands full with other things, but hey, the growing-up years are not as long as they seem, and the opportunity for a certain-level of impact can only be achieved within a certain window. In my lifetime, I've seen my nieces & nephews as babies, and now 16-years-plus. Some are in SHS/Uni and only come home for vacation. Being a teenagers/young adults now, things are not the same anymore, with respect to experiences. For example, the 'wow' of a four-year old on a ship, an airplane or in a zoo can never be replicated when that same person is a teenager. By teenage years, we lose most of our 'wonder of the world' and have already been shaped by the experiences of previous years. Older mothers often say, 'the time to enjoy your children is now' (when they are babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, or simply little children). One mother puts it this way: the days are long but the years are few. If there's anything meaningful and life-impacting that we want to do for our children, the time for action is NOW. So help us, God.

What do we have in our hands, and how do we plan to carefully craft and pass that on? I often say we shouldn't blindly throw away everything that has to do with our culture and traditions in the name of 'moving on' and making our children 'global citizens'. For instance I think it's 'someway' to let our children learn French, English and Spanish languages only, and no Ghanaian language at all (this is to Ghanaian parents who can speak one or more local dialects), in the name of raising 'international children'. Actually, recent research results show that children who speak a local language as a first language at home, pick up second languages better (i.e. If it's English being taught in school, pre-schoolers pick it up faster and are able to relate items better in both languages) The good things about our culture need to be preserved; I agree that there are some practices and customs that need to be questioned, as they were done in ignorance, but there still remains a lot that are helpful and should be passed on to the next generation. Language is important and gives us an identity. I thank God for my parents: they passed on two local languages to me (Ewe and Ga), and it was an intentional process. I picked up Twi in school, and being literate in three Ghanaian languages places me in advantageous positions most of the time. I even wish I could speak some more dialects. Depending on where I am, I chose the language to speak. :)

Just as we have career, marriage, academic, marriage, financial and spiritual goals, I believe God is raising a generation of people who intentionally map out Parenting Goals, and execute them as He grants grace, insight and strength. We know (or should know) our children and what their interest and inclinations are, and must do well to expose them to lots of things in that area. For instance, if your daughter dreams of being an air hostess, you should give her the opportunity to get on an airplane at one time. Now this is not about being rich and going beyond our means. If we make it a goal to give such a little girl an opportunity to fly from Accra to Kumasi for instance, we can easily save towards that. Working intentionally with the 'little' God has placed in our hands, we can achieve lots of great strides!

As I type this out, I wonder what it takes to be an author. :) What does it take to publish a book? Our children need to know the answers to such questions and we can help that process through television programs and online videos (carefully chosen) even if we don't know the answers ourselves. ICT offers our generation so much more, and we need to use all the tools and skills available to make the next generation better, through God's rich Grace.

Selah.

World of possibilities....16th April, 2016

July 08, 2024 No comments

@Ama's wedding, Dansoman, 2009

Fondly remembered! Forever in our hearts! Worth noting: - this tribute was written in June 2010. To God be the glory!

TRIBUTE TO ‘ENGINEER’ BY ‘COACH’ – JULIET MAWUNYO ADDO

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;…. knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.” 2Co 4:8-9, 14

“ENGINEER!” This has been my opening word in all of our conversations for close to a year now and your response still rings so clearly in my ears: “Hey coach, what’s up?”

Our conversations at church and other functions became lengthier after I got to know you were in St. Peter’s, Nkwatia. As a ROSECAN, you straight-away became my SPEROSA brother.

I was so excited when you expressed interest in studying Electrical/Electronic Engineering at KNUST and I started calling you “Engineer” even before you called to inform me that you had gained admission. I knew our relationship would grow from being just SPEROSA siblings to being ELEESA siblings. I was grateful to God that I was going to have a junior course-mate at church and we began making many plans concerning how you were going to graduate with a First Class, vacation internships for you, online courses you would be interested in, etc. Indeed, a man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.

I deliberately wore an ‘ELEESA’ t-shirt to visit you in the hospital in January and my announcement as I got into the room was this: “Engineer! Engineers don’t get sick so hurry up and let’s go home”. Today, I feel like screaming: “Engineer! Engineers don’t die so wake up and let’s go home”, but I refuse to despair as one who does not have hope because I believe you have just moved on.

As we celebrate your life, I would like to recount two of the decisions you made, and the things you did that will remain with me forever:

1. I was glad when you decided to fellowship with EPSU-KNUST on campus and even went on to join the Evangelism wing. I remember our conversation one Sunday evening when you had just returned from what we call an “Evangelism Storm”. You admitted that you did not say much because it was your first time, but promised that you’d speak more at the next opportunity.

2. I was surprised when you called to inform me that you were going to stay on campus, the weekend after your first semester vacation, to partake in “School of Prayer”. Most students are eager to come home after first-year first-semester and very few stay (I didn’t stay when I was at that stage either!). God knew it would be your first and last, and I am proud of you for staying to pray and build up yourself in His word.

Engineer! How come you called to tell me you had gotten your drivers’ license and I never got to be driven by you? We were supposed to watch ‘Rush Hour 3’ together, I was to visit you on campus (you actually contributed 10 Ghana cedis to that effect), and we had a pending lunch-outing but God’s appointment with you was more important. It is not by chance that the last day we met (May Day in your home) we watched the movie “FIREPROOF” with Ama. Borrowing some lines from “FIREPROOF”, I say, “Fireproof “ does not mean that there will be no fires: it means that though fire may come we are protected and safe.

Your demise hurts but we thank God for a High Priest who is familiar with all our pain and grief. Jesus Himself was despised and rejected of men, a MAN OF SORROWS and acquainted with grief. HE is with us through this fire and so the flames will not consume us. We are walking through this fire with the comfort of His rod and staff. We will come out of this fire like Daniel and his friends: the hair of our heads would not be singed; neither will our coats be changed; nor will the smell of fire be on us.

I miss you already but I will see you soon. I am waiting for that DAY when the trumpet shall sound.

“I’m waiting; I’m waiting on You Lord. Though it’s not easy; I’m waiting on You Lord. It is painful; but patiently I will wait. While I’m waiting, I will worship. While I’m waiting, I will serve You. While I’m waiting, I will not faint. I’ll be running the race, even while I wait”. (Words of John Waller’s “While I’m waiting” in “FIREPROOF”)

So fare thee well, my friend, may your soul rest in perpetual peace! And I trust that the Great Lord will richly reward you for your great works on earth, and protect you until such time that we shall meet again. Good night Engineer!

Selah.

Sent via email to Wofa Joshua on 16th June 2010, 8:40am. 'Woakafu Mawu daa.'

July 05, 2024 No comments

July 02, 2024 No comments

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