Ask any question

I’m staying away from this blog for about 2 weeks, ‘cos of another work related trip. So now is the time to put back my “Ask Any Question” post. Trivial stuff. And I’ll do my best to answer your questions when I get back.

Today is somebody's day.

Unfortunately, it's not mine. I wish it were.

It's yours.

Yes, I mean you.

You can ask me any question such as favourite game, favourite book, best memories... you know, the trivial kind of stuff. Or just a spin off question from one of my blog posts.

How about that for a lil' fun?
Lurkers, it's time to de-lurk!

:)

God bless ya,
Lady Akofa

Hugs!

I’ve been thinking about hugs lately.

Last Sunday, I observed a bubbly, 5 or 6 year old girl bask in pleasure after one of her many aunts in Christ gave her a big, motherly hug while we exchanged greetings during church service. She shrieked and wiggled with glee. Amused, I walked up to her and asked her, “Would you like another one?” Of course she didn’t mind.

Then yesterday in church, one of my Sunday school kids walked up to me, “Auntie, Happy Valentine,” with a big, kiddie hug. The hug came at the time I was trying to get 20 plus kids to settle down so that we could start our lesson. Aaaaww! A heart melting hug from a sweet kid. Like the first lil’ girl, I’m still relishing in my Valentine hug. : )

Gary Chapman, talks about physical touch as one of the love languages in his seminal book, The Five Love languages. This book has been instrumental in helping me to understand that people express love in different ways. I love receiving and giving hugs but it’s neither my primary nor secondary love language. One of my close friend’s primary language is physical touch and whenever we meet, it’s all sisterly hugs and kisses. And I do these because of her.

I normally extend my hand when greeting people but I’m mostly ok with it if the other person prefers a hug. I often assume that physical touch is their love language. On my recent trip to Egypt, I found out that cheek kisses are normal greetings. When my sister and I discussed this with my parents, my dad also talked about another culture, I think New Zealand, where people look into each other’s faces and rub their noses as a sign of greeting. Hehehe! And now that’s interesting!

Hugs,
Akofa. : )

Edited to add: You can check out this blog too, although it's not directly maintained by Gary Chapman himself.




Stuff around on Valentine

I really don't have anything to say this week, really and especially about Valentine's day. I was going to let the day pass without a post or a comment. Why? Because, I don't know what love is. I keep telling my friends this and will keep saying it. Love? What's that? Beats me.

Of course if you want the biblical definition, you might know that God = love, right? I heartily agree. But I don't fully know God, I'm still getting to know Him more and more.

So here is the problem or probably it's not a problem:

What is love?
God is love.
Who is He?
I'm still getting to know Him.
He can't be fully known on earth.
I know in part now but later I'll fully know.

So then, love beats me! God beats me! Some mystery, eh? :)

Anyway, I've found some interesting reads online, that I think it's worth sharing. See what Suzanne Hadley has to say to singles who have THAT attitude during this season, on Boundless line here.

Girl talk give insightful thoughts on seasons.

For single mothers who think there's no hope for restoration, this might be an encouraging read.

A 9 year old boy claims he knows a thing or two about dating and it's for Guys! I'm not recommending his book, because I haven't read it. I probably never will. But I just want you to go see the news report at BBC.

Enjoy.

Love? Clueless,
Akofa.

***Edited to add: This is really humour, so read it as such! :)




That's my King

I really love this video!

If you're not already familiar with S. M. Lockridge's "That's My King!" - then you should be! His rich words in praise of Jesus is just awesome. It's impossible not to listen without being inspired to find creative ways to praise our God.




Worth watching,

Lady Akofa.

Getting Freaked out by God

I missed real Christian fellowship while I was in Egypt for a work-related trip for about 2 weeks. So I was pretty excited to be back home in Ghana and particularly in church last Sunday, 1st Feb. Somehow God decided to freak me out on my return! Alrigh-dee, not it a negative way but you read on and see why.

During the service, just at the beginning of worship fleeting, potentially distracting and depressing thoughts came to mind. They weren’t things I wanted to think about because I was all geared up for corporate worship after missing two services. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I redirected my thoughts as the congregation worshipped God. At the end of the worship session I watched the worship leader for a signal so the congregation would sit down but she was silent and stood still as if she was waiting for something to happen. I somehow knew a rhema word was coming.

Suddenly a woman at the back of the church started speaking and I strained my ears to hear, only to realize that she was speaking in tongues. Tada! “There had better be an interpretation, Papa God! Nobody understood that,” 1 Corinthians 14.

And our God good knows what he doing… He doesn’t need me, Akofa, the clay to tell Him, the potter, what to do. The worship leader who had earlier paused translated the strange language in English. Although I didn’t get the 1st few words, the part that I heard was enough for me,

“…I am the God of all flesh,
Is anything too hard for me?”

You see, those earlier thoughts questioned God’s ability and revealed my fickle trust in Him, “Ooooh, God if only You’d do such and such. It seems Big and Impossible to me now, but if only You’d intervene.”

So a new day comes and it’s Monday 2nd February. I got to work and while checking my e-mails, I saw a familiar weekly newsletter from Life Coach, Valorie Burton, with the title, "It's not too hard!" Curious, I opened it. In this edition, she talked about her own experience of asking God for humanly impossible but divinely possible things and encouraged her readers to step out of their comfort zones and believe God for such. I read on and she had quoted the very Word that we received in church the previous day citing the Scripture reference as well- Jeremiah 32:26-27.

I almost freaked out! I had been frantically looking for the Scripture reference Sunday night to no avail. Although I was close, I just couldn’t find it. So here is Valorie’s newsletter with what I need. God must be up to something, I said to myself.

Then late Monday afternoon, I’m reading a lady’s God-glorifying testimony on the internet and one of God’s words to her during a trying, baffling period in her life was , guess... you already know it- Jer. 32: 26-27!

And this time, I freaked out! Yes but in a comforting way. God is really up to something and I’ve got to pay attention! Three times within 2 days? On top of it, God and I have a thing about the number 3. My birth date is a third and was born on the 3rd day of the week, if Sunday is considered the 1st. God has also done some cute, interesting things using the number 3 in my life. And by the way, He is 3 in One, right?

Okay-dokey, enough about me. Do you have a far-fetched dream that seem an impossible reality? Are you willing to stretch your faith and bank your hope on God, His Word and Power to do it? Take those baby steps now in honest prayer about your fears, inadequacies (He’s gonna do it not you!) and all. You might want to read the entire Jeremiah 32 to understand the contextual basis for which God made that statement. God is much Bigger than we have made Him out to be.


Don’t get freaked out like I was! :)
God bless ya!
Lady Akofa.