Feisty females

I just finished a book by Sara Paretsky and I guess I have written it before, but I thoroughly love feisty female characters because I admire them and want to be like them, I suppose. A heroine of sorts, solving problems for people.

I looked Sara up on the Web and was surprised to read that she was not encouraged as a child because she was a girl. That kind of resonates a little with me and I could feel a bit of her emotion coming through as I read about her. What better way to get rid of such baggage than to write about it and make a point? Well, there is a better way. Give it up to God and then write about it too.

Her protagonist is a bit like the one written of by Sue Grafton and she has such a strong voice that one can almost imagine her.
That is the power of a good writer. One who creates a character who feels three-dimensional.
Nana, read and learn. What a great way to study: read to my heart's content.
Of course within the boundaries of discipline.
Hmmmm. Thank You, Father.

How goes your house?

Excuses are the nails used to build the house of failure.

This is a quote I came across several years ago that I used to quote to a friend; the ironic thing was that I didn’t learn the lesson then. I am now after several false starts and unexpected happenings.

Last week I met a friend in town who went to live in her native country this July; it was a surprise to see her in these parts because I had said good-bye to her the night before her departure. She was back to attend the funeral of her sister who had died suddenly . As I sympathized with her and she told me what had happened, she said one thing that I am still thinking about.

To give you a better background to this story, let me backtrack a little. This friend was one of the first I made when we came to England. We had our first babies together and lived on the same road so we got talking each time we met at the baby clinic. She was brought up here but always harboured the dream of going back to her roots in the West Indies. It was a dream shared by her husband and they periodically gave me updates about their progress.

Ten years from when I first heard of this dream, my friend has fulfilled her dream ( the exact timing she predicted) and last week as we spoke, she said her sister’s sudden demise had made it even more important to her to keep going for her dreams. Her poignant statement was that if those dreams and plans fitted in with what God had for you , they would fall into place.

I could not put it better and as I revisit my dreams again and again, I see the flaws in my execution and also the excuses I have used in the years to let myself off the hook. And I am learning that "ignorance is bliss" is not true in a lot of cases. ( Hosea 4:6)

It is a sad fact that a lot of us wait for something drastic and dramatic to shake us out of our complacency or out of the excuse zone before we pursue our passions. Remember my student who asked me whether I woke up each morning wanting to teach Maths and whether that was my passion? Her question still rings in my ears and I can still see the look on her face when she looked me straight in the eye to ask me about my passion.

In my case, I need to preach to myself and weed out the excuses that I tout up to myself and others so readily.

What have you done today to make you feel proud ? Stretch yourself a little and let your passion bless those around you.

God bless you all and enjoy your weekend.

Thank You, Father

Yesterday was a good day for me; I noticed a lot of things that I have to adjust in myself internally. I have lots of good ideas but I have to be consistent in their application and stop looking at circumstances which get me discouraged. I have to press forward and stop looking backwards.
I am writing a lot of the lessons in my journal so that I can refer to them again for I will have to. It is a good thing to be reproved by The Holy Spirit.
God is good and I shall post another entry today, I believe. I have to keep up the momentum.
God bless Nana Yaa, Amen.

Ghana, my Ghana

There is something about a dream that I have long discovered; you cannot suppress it or ignore it. Do any of those and it will cost you your emotional equilibrium. My dream is to go back to settle in Ghana and much as I have kept quiet about it at home and with friends, it still burns in me more than ever. Sometimes it takes something small for me to get this intense desire to " just pack up and go!" as it were and it is not a pleasant phase to go through at all.

Yes, I do appreciate and like things about being over here but my heart hankers after that hot and so-called Third World land called Ghana.
Lord in Your mercy, help me fulfil this dream, Amen.

Prayer for a holiday

I so want a holiday, Father and even though I am so spiritually enriched by the Dr Siddiki meetings, I also want a change of scenery for the body and the soul. Lord, I hope that doesn’t sound so greedy but that is how I feel and I am writing this in the hope that it will get rid of the desire but better still land me a holiday(!) and also help me to make the best of what I have. Indeed I am blessed in all ways possible.

I thank You for daily food, I thank You for Your Word and for Your protection and for Your guidance and all that You do for us as a family.

Thank You for this writing gift and thank You for eternity and for what lies ahead in Jesus for us and in heaven. I pray that I will fulfil my destiny on earth by Your power and for Your glory. In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray with thanksgiving and Father, I feel better at the moment about the scenery. Thank You so much in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Dr Siddiki

For the first time since being in the UK, this is the first time I have been attending a sort of convention in a church and I am thrilled about it. I have been attending some meetings being held in New Life Church in Wealdstone by Dr Nasir Siddiki and I have been so blessed and taught of the Lord.
It is indeed a blessing to be with people who believe in the same things that you believe in. God is a God of grace and of abundance. I believe that I am blessed to be a blessing.
Amen.
Lord Jesus, I believe in You.

change of scenery

We went out on Saturday and Sunday visiting old friends and it was very good for me. I have always thought that a change of scenery always does me a lot of good and indeed it does. Sitting at home brooding and going round in circles can be so counter-productive.
So I am hoping that I will be able to do some writing this week. A step at a time.

Self-sabotage and getting up again

It has been one of those weeks where I have been making internal resolutions and then breaking them; and also asking where to start from with all the books I have to read and also wondering about the preparation for Saturday school .

Decisions, decisions, decisions. So many of them to make, so few that will make the crucial changes. I keep praying for wisdom and believe that I receive it.

Somehow I have also failed miserably at keeping the weight off and I suspect that I am eating out of boredom. Self-sabotage once again. Thankfully I am hopeful that I can still get back into a walking regime so tomorrow I am going to do take a walk before I start the ever-present housework.

And we have had a lovely time with Kofi who went back tonight. On Saturday my mom will also be leaving.

Thank You, Lord for family and also for the weeks of summer left to help me regroup.

Thank You so much.