Merry Christmas!!!

Wishing all my readers a Merry Christmas!!! Below is a poem I wrote a few days ago, based on Isaiah 53, while meditating on one of my recent quiet moments with God. This is truly the reason for His birth that we celebrate so joyously.

Title? I don't know whether, "Blue Christmas" or "Bloody Christmas" or "Red Christmas" will do. Still thinking about that. I share this for your enjoyment although it's lil' bit of a gloomy poem, I know. No worries! He's alive because He rose up!

A tender shoot

The tender shoot came up from dry ground.

How is that possible, farmers?

He was despised, rejected and held in low esteem.
When people saw him, they hid their faces from him.
Not worthy to look at?

He took the pain of others,
He bore the suffering of others,
He was afflicted
That's enough to get a person to the lowest of lows.

Because of my horrible sins, my wickedness
He, who knew no sin, didn't have to, didn't deserve to
took on my well-deserved punishment.
So that I may have peace
with God
with my fellow human beings.

A sheep gone astray.
Walking on the wrong path
How could I go back to the flock, my family?

But not without blood.
In His blood,
today I have peace.
The reason for Christ's birth.

©Lady Akofa

17th December, 2008

"Where is my Christmas present?"

"Where is my Christmas present?"

That's a question I hate sooooooooooooooo much!

Ever since childhood I've heard this question countless times, often from people that are not close friends, distant family members that I hardly know and simply put, strangers. It seems to me that the people that I don't have a relationship with expect me to give them something. It's usually said in a joking manner but it irks me. Sorry, I hardly know you and I wasn't thinking about you, goes my un-uttered thoughts. I don't mean you, my blog readers. : )

A few hours ago I dropped off a Christmas card to an much older woman at her workplace. I handed the card over to the receptionist, whom I have never met before. He took the card and said, "Where is mine?" I'm told I can be too blunt sometimes - and I'm working on being gracious in my speech- but I couldn't help but say, "But I don't know you," and smile.

It's different when out of the goodness of my heart I decide to bless a stranger or somebody I hardly know during Christmas or some other occasion or whenever. Or when God leads me to give to another. However, being cohered to give a present because a person demands it... that's not quite right.

So these days I respond something like this, "Well, you're asking me for your Christmas present, do you have something for me?" Rude? I don't know, but I won't be forced to give uncheerfully. :) The truth is, the very people who ask such questions don't have a present for me. And I'm not asking for anything, really. I'm well taken care of, more than I can ask for, thank you. I ask them this to draw their attention to the "me-demand" attitude that's really not fun.

There is also this tradition where Christmas boxes are placed in shops and salons for customers to put something in. It's never said where the money is going. Is it for charity? Or for some well-meaning cause? I've never asked. Maybe I should ask the next time I see one in a shop which I'm headed for over the weekend.

Note that I'm not advocating the "you give me then I give you" culture of gift giving. Far from it. I don't know why Christmas has become a 'must' give a present or must receive a present thing. The focus should be on the real gift to us from God=Jesus Christ.

I'm just wondering whether this 'joke' is said/played in other African countries or it's just Ghana? Apart from the United States, I've never spent Christmas in any other country and never heard that while I was in the US. Will somebody help me out? Hit the comment button and share your thoughts.

Am I going to give gifts this Christmas season? You bet I am. And to people I hardly know. In fact, it's my intention to do so that this year. Surprise them when they least expect it. :)

Grateful for the Grateful spirit

Hello! I've taken off the 'ask anything' blog post for reasons that I think it's best not to explain, for now. My sincere apologies. Below is a piece I wrote exactly a year ago in 2007 about how I felt in 2006. My outlook for 2009 is much brighter than then. It shows the power of God at work in my life and all over the world. It's always good to look back and reflect on the goodness of the LORD. Bless the LORD, oh my soul... and forget not His benefits. Psalm 103.

Grateful for the Grateful Spirit

Mid-December. In two weeks, we’ll see the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008, God willing.

I’m grateful to God for many, many, many things. Indeed, were I to count all my blessings it would surprise me to see what the LORD has done. If I were ambitious to write about His goodness, love and faithfulness… I wonder…. How many books would I write? John was right when he concluded in his letter in John 21:25, “Jesus did many things as well. If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have enough room for the books that would be written.” That was then, in John’s day, what about can be said of Jesus' works today?

I’m grateful, first of all, for the fact that I am grateful, especially at this time of the year. Last year about this time, I was a mixed bag of emotions: self-pity, anxiety, distrust of God and sometimes, hard to admit, envious. I remember crying a lot at night, oftentimes beseeching my One and Only Father to change my circumstances overnight; after all, He has the power to do such things, doesn’t He?

But my Father chose to deal with my circumstances in unexpected ways and certainly didn’t change things overnight. The things for which I wanted or thought I needed that spiraled me into self-pity and anxiety mostly remain the same today, but for the most part I have peace within me. I have peace and hope about my future because my Father has taught me and is still teaching me to trust in Him wholeheartedly (Romans 15:13).

Thus I look at my present with joy and peace knowing that my Papa God has a greater and brighter future for me than I could ever plan for myself. I need not fear or worry (though I still waver sometimes :) ) because my Papa has assured me that He’s always with me (Hebrews 13:5b). So, I’m thankful for the grateful spirit that my Papa has given me in this season in spite of...

"The pain of disappointment is soothed by a heart of gratitude." Unknown

Written on December 15, 2007
Lady Akofa

GREATER things He will do

We are still counting are votes, manually. :) We don't have the resources to vote electronically so we go by the good old-fashioned voting process in Ghana. And people love to stand round tables and count together with the electoral commission officers and polling agents. Interested in following the proceedings? Follow me here and there (I'm not vouching for the accuracy of news published on these sites).

While the country is patiently waiting for the official results (I told you Ghanaians are generally a peaceful people), I'm ruminating on a popular chorus sung in Christendom in the country. I'm a word person so I'm touched by lyrics more than beats. But I love the beats too! What African bred person doesn't love the beats?

Anyhoo, the popular chorus goes this way:

Great things He has done
GREATER things He will do
Unto the LORD be the Glory
Great things He has done

Unto the LORD be the Glory
Great things He has done
Unto the LORD be the Glory
Great things He has done

Composer: I don't know. It's unfortunate that original composer has fizzled out of the limelight while his/her song has become a popular hit. But God knows and bless this person's heart.

It's easy to miss the essence of the song when it's sung, played over and over again. Here is the catch and don't miss it:

The LORD has done great things in the past and He will do even GREATER things in the future.

And that's what I'm looking forward to in 2009.... GREATER things!

Ephesians 3: 20-21

God bless ya,
Lady Akofa.

2nd Dec and 5 days to Go!

It's 2nd December and we have 5 days to go! Where did all the time go! I wish I knew.

It's beats my mind that I'm in the last month of 2008 and that within a twinkle of an eye, oh no, not Christmas, I've got my numbers right here. I mean in 5 days, Ghanaians will be going to the polls!!! I'm not jumping in front of my computer or screaming my head off but I'm excited nonetheless. :)

News of elections in Africa has been fraught with violence, fraud, dissensions and the like. Ghanaians want to be different and we are different. :) Ghanaians have been preaching peace, peace, peace all over the place. Yup, I was surprised to see lil' banners hanging on the boundary fence of my former elementary school yesterday with different messages about a free and fair election. I'm glad the teachers got the children to be part of the electoral process and the peace preaching even if they're not eligible to vote. I was so amused by the sight and thought to myself, "Right on! Preach the peace, kids." If adults don't know how to behave then maybe the kids will sit us down and teach the adults a lesson or two in this critical hour.

Now, I've found my missing voter ID card and I'm still wavering between two presidential candidates. Maybe it's a great opportunity for me to be led by the Spirit in this indecisiveness stance, I guess.

May Ghanaians keep her peace and live in security.
And may God be with Ghana!
Amen!

Lessons in Persevering Prayer

On 30th May, I participated in an extended prayer meeting at church. As soon as the visiting pastor mentioned the all familiar passage Luke 18:1-8, I wondered, What new thing do I have to learn this time? Many things, I realised, even things I needed to be reminded of. Below are blessed notes I took from the teaching time.

Persevering in Prayer

1. Persevering prayer is a personal pursuit- It is something that an individual does by him/herself. Nobody does this kind of prayer for you.
   
2. Persevering prayer is imperative- “Men ought to,” “You ought to.” The condition of your heart will urge you to be persistent.
3. Persevering prayer is a practical thing- You pray yourself, it’s not something you theorize about. The widow was practically knocking at the judge's door every single day, to the point of almost wearing the judge out!
   You do the bending down on your knees, the raising of your hands, etc. There's nothing theoretical about this kind of prayer.
   
4. Persevering prayer should be continuous-

a) You ought always to pray.

b) This kind of prayer is not done occasionally or whenever you feel like it, it has to be regular.

c) It has to have a focus and it's driven by a need. The widow wanted justice against her adversary and she pursued that from the unjust judge.

d) It’s result-driven. You seek a specific result, thus you don’t give up till you get the result that you want. You don’t settle for less, neither for the 2^nd best thing, nor the next available thing that looks like what you wanted. You don’t give up till you gotten exactly what you wanted.

e) There are no time boundaries to this kind of praying. The people cried to God day and night. The widow kept coming to the judge to plead her case.

5. Persevering prayer involves the emotions- The people cried to God day and night. You ought to pray with your heart and mind involved. Hannah’s prayer in the temple is an example of her emotions being poured out in prayer. In Psalm 62:8, we are told to pour out our hearts to the Lord.
6. Praying in this manner requires boldness and courage- this kind of prayer is not for the fainthearted. Interestingly, the antidote to losing heart is to continue praying.

Approaching the Throne of God in prayer- Hebrews 4:14-16

a) We come to the throne of grace

b) We come to the throne of mercy

c) We come to the throne for timely intervention

d) We have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who has been there before.

e) We also have the Holy Spirit, who helps us to pray (Romans 8:26-27)

7. Pray to God, through Jesus Christ.

Faith is really needed in the act of prayer. The implication was that faith will be rare at the time of Jesus' coming. The question is, will you be one of the few people standing firm in the faith when Jesus Christ comes back to take us to be with Him forever? I hope and pray that I will be.

Blessings,

Lady Akofa.

Your Life Story

Alex and Brett Harris couldn't have said it better. The teen twins have some lessons for an older lady over here.

Go see for yourself. I don't think I can rephrase what they say in a better language. And do read the 10 part series linked at the bottom of their short post as well, that is if you have time. Meaty stuff for your soul, I guarantee that, much better and tastier than seasoned ground beef. :)

God bless ya,
Lady Akofa.

90 days-Noah's Ark

Edited to add: The blog title above links to the Arknanoach website, which I would encourage you to view, so clicking on it will not lead to this post!

If you've been reading the Bible in a year, 6 months or in 90 days like me, aren't there days that you'd really like to see some of the old stuff, like the tabernacle of Moses' day, the temple of Solomon's day, Goliath's weapons or Noah's ark? Often times I find it difficult to comprehend the dimensions or measurements given in the Bible, even when modern day equivalents are given in footnotes.

I've always wondered what Noah's Ark may have looked like. Haven't you? Well, you got the opportunity to see a modern day built Noah's ark! Mrs June Fuentes from A Wise Woman posted and linked to the web of a father and a son who had built one. This ark is just half of the real and original thing. The ark is in the Netherlands for viewing, live and coloured. So if you ever happen to be in Amsterdam, Westerdoksdijk, between now and 7 February, 2009, you sure don't want to miss this!

Dreaming about Noah's Ark, the real thing, of course. Thinking also of the animals as they walked in pairs into it. Goats, sheep, the slow but sure snails, chickens, baboons, ants, millipedes and rats???... Yeah, I should think rats were included. :)


Back home & loving the warm and humid weather,
Lady Akofa.

90 days - The Priests' work is bloooooody!

This is an old note, scribbled several weeks ago while reading Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

The work of the priest, Levites is tedious and excuse me to say, blooooody. Suffice it to say, priestly duties aren't for the fainthearted. I can't imagine having to see blood and flesh every single day, the smoke, fire and make extra sacrifices on ceremonial days but that is the job of the priest of old. Yet, it was God who chose Aaron and his sons and the descedants of Levi to carry out priestly duties. They were the only ones who could perform certain duties and touch certain ministerial articles.

In our day, Jesus Christ has graciously done this bloody work for us... me, once and for all in 2 ways:

One: He is the High Priest. Not just that, but the High Priest for all time. This is the covenant that will never change, Hebrews 7:11-24.

Two: He Himself is the sacrifice, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the whole world, Hebrews 9:11-22.

Wondering what it would be like to be a priest in Moses' day, yet grateful to be under the awesome New Covenant.

Blogging from Cape Town
& grateful that the sun is out!
Lady Akofa.

90 days-Yeah, cut these unfaithful brats off!

I don’t know what you think of Moses but I think he was one loooooooong suf-fe-ring leader.

Now you lead these multitudes of people through a hot, scorching desert and a time comes that you have to leave them for a while. You go up the mountain and leave them with your brother, Aaron, in order to seek God’s face on their behalf

God hurriedly sends you back down the mountain after many days because something grievous has happened. So you go down and the people are bowing down to a golden calf saying, “This is our god who brought us from Egypt!”

Huh? A calf made of gold delivered Israel from Egypt?

God was ready to destroy all the Israelites for their unfaithfulness and blasphemy. He was even prepared to start a new Kingdom through Moses. Now if you were Moses what you say? Just think about it for a moment, Exodus 32.

I’ll tell you what I’d say, “Yeah God, these unfaithful brats! After all the hustle and bustle they’ve put You and me through? You cut these insolent brats off and start with me and my family. That's what they should get for such wickedness!”

But Moses pleaded with God, appealing to His faithfulness, to His own Word and asking God to honour His Name because of His enemies, the Egyptians. Moses was a great intercessor, indeed.

Now that's where I need to be merciful and gracious to others when they go wrong. Not that I have everything going for myself either. Far from it... I sin, sin and sin too and fight sin everyday. That's why I have Jesus Christ, not Moses, as my Mediator, the One who speaks on my behalf.

My self-imposed 90 day challenge

My 90 bible reading is on. I'll be sharing a few thoughts now and then, as long as I'm able to write. Now, I'm giving myself 2 self-imposed tasks by sharing this online. BUT with a purpose... accountability.

1. That I continue reading and complete reading my bible by the time I stipulate... read on and you'll see.

2. That I don't just read for the sake of reading and beating time, but I actually do reflect on God's Word and take some notes, even if they are random.

As compared to the first time I took up this challenge, my reading has been much livelier, interspersed with reading aloud, silent reading and acting out the reading. Yes, if you were to catch me in my home those times you’d wonder what crazy monologue I was doing. The Old Testament has a lot of stories to act our for sure. There were times, however, when I caught myself sleeping while reading the bible, after a hard day’s work. : )

I was profoundly blessed with the presence of God as I read Leviticus and Deuteronomy. While I was awed by God’s high standard for holiness for His own treasured people, I was greatly disturbed by own sin of idolatry, short-sightedness and how quickly I forget God’s love and goodness as He specifically and repeatedly warned (Deuteronomy 6 to 9). I was also impressed by God’s concern for the future generations requiring parents to teach their children about Him and pass on the legacy of what He had done for Israel.

I’m not always able to read on schedule so there are days I read ahead or read to catch up somewhat. Other times I skipped a book or more to read one of the minor or major prophets because I didn’t want to loose momentum of their prophetic messages as they corresponded with the Kings or Chronicles. It flowed better for me than reading Ezra immediately after 2 Chronicles, the return of the exiles. This is not to say that the bibles scholars didn’t do their work well. : ) The fallout however, is that I’m not able to gauge accurately whether I’m on track or not.

Presently, I’m really behind schedule as I'm on a work-related trip to South Africa for 2 weeks. In my original schedule, I should be done two days before Christmas. I'd love to be able to catch up and do this b'4 the famous 3 Fs: Famly, Friends and Food that come with the season. :) If not, I figure by New Year, I should be done. I certainly don't want to carry this over to 2009! But then, it’s more about embracing God through my reading than rigidly following the schedules.

Cape Town beach from Monkey Valley view, cloudy

& too cold for this tropical-bred lady, who didn't

listen to His Majesty's warning to bring warm clothes.

Praying that God will let the sun

shine in His mercy so that I truly enjoy the SA summer,

Lady Akofa.

Old Love

The question is asked, "Is there anything more beautiful in life than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful than young love?"

And the answer is given. "Yes, there is a more beautiful thing. It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey together on that path. Their hands are gnarled, but still clasped; their faces are seamed, but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed and tired, but still strong with love and devotion for one another. Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old love."

~Author Unknown~

Ghana Elections 2008

I have visited a few blogs mostly by Christians over the past several months especially as the US elections draws closer and I see a sad trend. Most won’t comment on politics but because of such and such they are saying a word or two. I find it sad because every country is run on the wheels of politics. If Christians choose not to get involved in the systems and processes that affect the way our own country is run thus our future then guess what kinds of values and principles will be chief in decision making processes?

Ghanaians go to the polls next month, Sunday 7^th December to be exact. At this point I can tell you that after the IEA presidential debate last Wednesday, I’m torn between two candidates. That’s good to some extent ‘cos I initially I was a die-hard voter for a particular political party. Although the four aspirants invited to the debate have held government positions over the years, except one who is a medical practitioner, it was interesting to hear what they had to say. I wasn’t too impressed with the debate itself, I thought it could have been a bit livelier. But it was enough to get me to reconsider my previous die-hard stance. And I’m still thinking. : )

I know Ghanaians are quite religious and the vast majority are Sunday church goers. This is plea from my heart to all you lovely Ghanaians who call yourselves Christians: don’t go and spend all the time in church praying and forget to vote. : ) God knows our hearts and hears our prayers, plus He knows what He has planned for Ghana.

For more online news on the elections go to Ghana Elections 2008.

Meanwhile, people of US of A, all the Best in your elections tomorrow.

God

Has

A

Nation

Ahead!

Shalom,

Lady Akofa.

Nancy on the Sovereignty of God

On the Sovereignty of God, below is a quote by Nancy Leigh DeMoss of Revive Our Hearts.

"Once we agree with God that we exist for His pleasure and His glory, we can accept whatever comes into our lives as part of His sovereign will and purpose. We will not resent, resist, or reject the 'hard things,' but embrace them as friends, sovereignly designed by God to make us like Jesus and to bring glory to Himself."
~Nancy Leigh DeMoss~