A Christmas quiz of some sort

I must say that I started playing Christmas carols in … ahem… in October. Weird, I know. Okay, I do play carols in the middle of the year... just because... well, just because I can! So I’ve been rather psyched up for a looooong time. It’s only left with the food and family part then it will be complete, haha! I found this quiz on Faith's blog and decided to play along. Ssssh… Faith doesn’t know I follow her but today will just be the day.

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Eeerm… what’s an eggnog? I’m a chocolate girl both in colour and in food, haha!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? I didn't believe in Santa growing up so it’s not my thing. And... most families rarely do the Christmas tree thing in Ghana.

3. Coloured lights on tree/house or white? I think coloured lights are fun, but I really don’t have a preference. (Note: There is no way I'm going to spell "coloured" the American way, just bear with me... ha!)

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up? 1st December.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Fufu with goat light soup or chicken light soup.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Dressing up in new clothes, getting a new hairdo, going to church with my sister and cousins and the feast after church service. I also remember the hazy, dry and cool weather at this time.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Never believed in him, so there was no truth to reveal. But I do remember asking my mom what’s the big deal with Santa Claus when we lived in the US, because it was so silly to me.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We didn’t and don’t have a tradition of when to open a present. You open your gift as and when you get it.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? We haven’t had a Christmas tree in years!

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love watching the dancing snowflakes but don’t like the cold weather, nor the mess it leaves at the front door when it starts to melt. I’d love to live outside Ghana (say US.. wink, wink) someday soon and experience a white Christmas just one more time!

12. Can you ice skate? Nope, never tried it.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A teddy bear, from an uncle, who turns 21 this Christmas. Yep, Mr. Teddy Bear could be older than your kid, haha!

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Singing gospel-centred carols, reflecting on Christ’s birth, being with family AND the food!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Piccadilly biscuits, Danish butter cookies and any chocolate delights.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to church (not always on Christmas day) and coming back home to eat fufu and all the goodies are what I look forward to. I love being with my family as we chat about not-too-important things, recount our favourite memories and talk about everything in between.

17. What tops your tree? There is no tree.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Both. It’s an exchange, you know? Haha!

19. Candy canes: yuck or yum? Yum! But don’t always get it in my part of the world.

20. Favorite Christmas movie? Home Alone 1 and 2. Macaulay Culkin - “Kevin” was really cute then.

21. Saddest Christmas song? Can’t think of any... perhaps, I haven't yet heard a sad Christmas song. Or did I miss the joke? Yeah, I thought so! :)

22. What’s your favorite Christmas song? I love them all but it's a seasonal thing too… click here to see my post on this.

Christmas is coming, the chicken (not goose) is getting fat,
Lady Akofa ~:).

Of my favourite Christmas carols

I have always loved Christmas carols; both listening and singing to them.

If you ask what my favourite Christmas song is, I doubt I’d be able to pin point a single one. I tried listing my favourite 5 on my facebook page and then remembered all the others that I love but didn’t list, haha!

In my childhood days, I listened to whatever carol was available and eagerly learnt those taught in our singing class at school. We had really good music teacher, Mr. Okine, who was passionate about each group (tenor, soprano, bass and alto) getting it right and on the beat. He had a bamboo cane with a cock head shaped tip to ensure that, haha! I remember Mr. Okine teaching us, “The Holly and the Ivy” and “In the Bleak Midwinter,” although most of us hadn’t seen snow before at that time in our lives, haha! May his soul rest in peace.

I remember often listening to Boney M.’s in one of my next door neighbour’s house when I went to play with them during this season. I often associate, Boney M.’s “Feliz Navidad,” and “Mary’s Boy Child/Oh my Lord,” with this family. Today, Boney M.'s Christmas carols are heard all over town.

At home, my dad often played Christmas country music; both the ‘blueish’ ones and the upbeat ones like, “Jingle Bells.”

And then when I got to secondary school, I joined the school choir and was part of the annual tradition in which we hosted the Nine Lessons and Carols Service for our school and for the alumni. To learn to sing Handel’s “Messiah,” was a heavenly experience.

Now, I’m more interested in the word content of the carols; those that speak of the advent of the Messiah, of waiting for His coming, of his Light and of His coming deliverance and of the establishment of His Kingdom. This is partly because of my own personal need and partly because I long to see God’s kingdom established in my family. We are beginning to see relatives give their lives to the LORD in recent years and I’m more than thrilled at what God is doing.

Also, ever since I took my first 90 day Bible reading challenge and followed the account of God’s chosen people and how non-Jewish have been called to be a part in our day, I’ve always looked forward to the day that Heaven (the New Kingdom) will be a reality. I was so enthralled by the temple design of Solomon’s day that by the time I got to Matthew in my reading challenge, I kept asking, “Ah! So where is the Kingdom? Where are God’s people – the 12 tribes?” Oh, blessed that John the Baptist came preaching the coming of the One, who would establish the Kingdom: Jesus Christ.

So in this season of my life, I will say, “O come, o come Emmanuel,” and “O Holy Night” are my favourite Christmas carols. I do more of quiet meditation on the words than sing them. And that has been meaningful to me. Some hymns books list all 8 stanzas, others 6, and some others 4 but I share the stanzas in no particular order from, “O come, o come Emmanuel,” that resonate with me:

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Perhaps, next year or in 5 years, I might tell you of my new favourite Christmas song.

Have a Merry and Cheery Christmas!
Lady Akofa.

It wasn’t my turn: God’s voice in an unprepared teacher’s day

It wasn’t my turn. So I wasn’t prepared to teach. I was only prepared to assist my co-teacher by monitoring the sweet, often restless 7 to 9 year old kids and by guiding them through an activity, if need be.

Unexpectedly, I was called to teach an older class because as an assistant teacher wasn’t available to take his Sunday School class. “How do you teach 11 to 13 year old kids, unprepared?” I wondered. “These kids will skin me alive with their teenage inquisitiveness! I’m not even armed with grown up wisdom to tackle their questions,” I thought. I hadn’t even glanced through the bible lesson the night before.

Yet here was I, leading the bible lesson. We, together, went through Exodus 17, verse by verse as the Holy Spirit led me to ask questions so the study would be interactive.

We saw how God provided water for the Israelites out of a rock – beats my imagination- this my God.

We also saw how God delivered the Israelites from the Amalekites who attacked them in the wilderness.

What struck me was God’s promise to vindicate the Israelites for all eternity after the battle had been won through the praying, lifted hands of Moses. If you are familiar with the Old Testament, this was the command King Saul failed to obey, which cost him and his descendants the throne (1 Samuel 15). For me, I saw God’s powerful hand of protection over His chosen people. He was and is willing to go to all lengths to honour His Word.

The 2nd thing that struck me was what Moses said of God, “The LORD is my Banner.” Trust me, prior to the study, I hadn’t really considered what a banner stood for and didn’t know why God is called a Banner. Yes, we sing it in songs but God? A Banner? What’s the link? What was I to tell my little students, eh? But as I was leading the discussion, I suddenly remembered the Independence Day parades and lifted banners at war scenes I had seen on television over the years. BINGO! So I asked, “Have you ever seen on TV or participated in an Independence Day parade?” Heads bobbing up and down.

A banner is often lifted up ahead of an army when they are parading or going to war. Often the name of the group, its emblem and other identifying details are written or drawn on the banner. As God was for the Israelites, the LORD is also MY BANNER. He goes out before me in battle, fighting for me and giving me the strength and wisdom to fight. Just as God promised to fight for the Israelites from generation to generation, I can be sure He will fight for me and my descendants, whatever circumstances come our way in the future.

Yes, I wasn’t supposed to teach. It’s almost unthinkable to call an unprepared teacher to teach. But, I believe that God had a HAND in it. Although, the kids seemed to grasp the lesson and I sure hope they did, I suspect that the study was more for me than the kids. I probably would never have gone through the study after that Sunday.

While serving impromptu, God teaches me lessons. As I pray through God’s promise to lift up His standard over me and to fight for me, it makes me confident about the victory in store. See… the BANNER is Himself… the emblem on the BANNER is My All-Powerful, Unconquerable Father and all that He is, who can withstand Him?

JEHOVAH NISSI, He will forever be to me.

He will also fight for you, if you so believe Him,
Lady Akofa.

"Auntie Akofa is here!"

“Auntie Akofa is here! Auntie Akofa is here!”

These days, that’s how I’m welcomed whenever I go to my friend’s E.’s place. The voices belong to her 3 ½ year old son and her 2 year old daughter, excitedly announcing the arrival of a familiar face; a family friend.

Sometimes, my arrival is too early in the morning, that is on bread collection days, and though the little ones are awake, it seems they would rather go back to bed and skip school. Or perhaps, I got there at hungry moments when they were patiently waiting for breakfast... so no happy welcome for “Auntie Akofa,” haha!

It’s a privilege and an honour that my friendship with E. has spilled over to her marriage and now, to her children. Almost every time I visit long enough to sit down for a chat, her son, Ad., eagerly searches my bag for my cell phone –not that it’s fancy, by the way- or for something equally ‘cool’ enough for him to play with. Ad. is usually delighted if he’s able to pour out all the contents of my bag if he manages to escape the watchful eyes of his mother and I, who are catching up on life’s happenings and God’s goodness on our lives.

It wasn’t until recently that her daughter, Ay. gave up her suspicions of me and embraced me with her shy smile and cautious handshake. Or should I say Ay. had been gingerly checking me out all throughout her 2 years of life? Now she delights in pointing out her big brother’s impish ways, “Auntie Akofa! Look at Ad.!” Or she would call out simply, “Auntie Akofa! Look at…!” I’d turn towards the direction of the little pointed finger and true to the report, Ad. is gleefully indulging in some mischief.

In early October, their little brother arrived and I had the privilege of keeping them with me over the weekend. It was challenging to keep them entertained and occupied, so that I could tackle some 'adult' task. For some reason they didn’t like the kid music video I had, neither did they seem to like one of my favourite cartoons, “The Lion King.”

However, whenever they were allowed to, they got busy on my mom’s exercise bicycle often fighting over who to ride it- a quarrel I refused to stop. I figured they would solve their toddler quarrels on their own by way of crying, lol!

Ad. and Ay. were pretty excited about being able to freely run around and play in front of our house. Lots of space to freely roam and get dirty too!

One night, we 3 all went for a walk and they told me stories most of which I didn’t really get but encouraged their storytelling nonetheless with my, “I see! Oooh! Hmmmm! Is that so?’ etc. While I’ve forgotten their stories, the memory of slowly walking and talking together is precious to me. I hope to do this with my children someday.

And there was one night, we shared a bedtime prayer. Although what Ad. said was mostly unintelligible, I know God heard his prayer. I was proud of him and more importantly of his mother’s effort in teaching and modeling prayer to her children.

I cannot wait to get to know their little brother as he grows up to be a sweet toddler, like Ad. and Ay are now.

Grateful for friendships,
Lady Akofa.

Who? Me? Yes, you!

Hi, Hi, Hi! I’m taking part in a BIG BLOG BASH... lol! And just as people introduce themselves to one another at parties, I’m introducing myself to party goers who hop over to say, “Hello!”

Helloooooo! It's great to meet you! : -)


You asked: Who are you?
I’m Lady Akofa from and living in Ghana but haven’t necessarily exclusively lived all my life in Ghana. I’m a royal princess because I’m a daughter of my Papa God, the King of all Kings, in Christ Jesus. I’m one of 2 daughters and have worked in the communications industry for the last 5-6 years.

I’m so, soo crazy about mangoes and wish I could have them all year round. And I love almost anything with rich chocolate in it... ice cream, cake, muffins, all that stuff and... oreos. It doesn’t matter whether it’s dark, brown or white chocolate, I take delight in all of them! Besides food, I experiment with perfumes, so if you’re allergic to such fragrances be advised! You can read more about me here.

You asked: Why do you blog?
I write because love to write. I often share what God is teaching me in seasons of my life to encourage and inspire others, people just like me. Other times, you’ll find posts about random things and life in Ghana. While I’m camera shy, photography is a new hobby, so blogging it is.

Attempting the photo art and failing horribly... lol!

You might ask: By the way, where in the world is Ghana?
Check Google Maps and you’ll find it. And while you’re there, please note that Ghana and Guyana are miles apart. : -)

This was definitely a success and a hit!

You can join the blog bash by clicking the link below and it's free!

God bless ya,
Lady Akofa.

Lifting your heart to God in the wait

I have not read any of Elisabeth Elliot's books, not yet. But I have been to her website and read other books, blogs with quotes from her books and writings. From the little that I've read about her, I think Elisabeth Elliot is one wise, old lady impacting the younger generation for God's kingdom. Here is one of those profound quotes I found from a devotional:

I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts. It is easy to talk oneself into a decision that has no permanence, easier sometimes than to wait patiently.
~Elisabeth Elliot~

Hmmm... What do you think?
Lady Akofa.

Not a Word: Yellow Flower bud

Lady Akofa’s WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS IN HER WARDROBE

Obviously, this is a vain list… for people like moi who have such time to think up such a list… Of course, not all women can afford this, I know. And most women have lived without these items. But what does it matter?  Do I have all these items? Nope!

This may well be my 1st submission for “Vanity Fair” magazine, wink, wink. For the sake of silliness, humor, vanity, self-indulgence, I also seek your indulgence! :-) Pun definitely intended! :-)

1.    A simple black dress, that can be worn with coloured accessories over and over again.
2.    A pair of coloured shoes, bag, scarf or shawl, earrings; all to match.
3.    A simple stud pearl earrings and a matching necklace.
4.    A long black skirt/ knee-length black skirt/ a pair of black trousers that can be worn with any coloured or any multi-coloured blouse.

5.    If married, a lingerie is a must. I’m sure Dear Husband will appreciate more than one though.

That’s it! Vanity Shop is CLOSED. Thanks for stopping by. :-)
 

God bless ya,
Lady Akofa.

Lady Akofa’s ESSENTIALS FOR THE HOME

These are things I think homeowners or renters (is that a word?) need, but don’t always consider or think that these tools are needed until there is an emergency. In order of importance, not written. :-)

1. A plunger
2. A cobweb brush
3. A ladder
4. A fire extinguisher
5. A rake, if you have a yard or a garden
6. A screw driver and spanner set
7. Bolts and nuts
8. A sewing kit
9. A torchlight/ flash light
10. A first aid kit/box

Anything else?

God bless ya,
Lady Akofa.

Of Key holders and Love

There is a new trend in Ghana where couples give gifts to their guests at marriage ceremonies. They are often pens, a set of jewelry or necklace for ladies, can openers, book markers, a set of mini-towels, mugs and... key holders. Some of the gifts can be as glamourous as big hampers full of assorted goodies, if the couple is well-to-do or if one or both of the married couple are from rich families. It doesn't matter whether it's a customary, Muslim or Christian/ordinance marriage ceremony.

Often the couple's names and date of the ceremony are scribbled on the gift as a memorial. It's nice to receive these gifts but sometimes it gets redundant... needless to say, I have a several key holders and I'm looking for people to pass them to, haha!

Above: not a wedding gift...

A wedding gift... I turned it upside down so as not to reveal the names.

I think it was a birthday gift, but I don't remember, haha!

Cheers,
Lady Akofa.