Endurance

Endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ,

Have you ever had to endure a situation, which felt unending? Have you ever wanted to just throw in the towel but you had to press on? You’re not alone.

Sometimes it starts with denial. You’re like it’s not that bad. Ça va aller quoi, Then it continues with frustration. En fait, c’est dur. C’est quoi ça? Next, it is acceptance where you list all the positives about your current situation.

Look, life is tough. You want that soft girl life and you’re rather enrolled in the School of Hard Knocks. But listen up, it gets better, it gets easier and it gets lighter, because:

1. My attitude should be like that of Christ Jesus.

2. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.

I know it’s cliche how gold and diamond are formed. Imagine you, a child of God, your Father will refine you. After all, He is the Potter and we are the clay.

Bises xxx

Français et moi

My love for French started under a tree in Korle-Bu in the mid 90s… or maybe at a dining room table. All I remember was that there was a lovely lady called Mrs. Ribeiro who used to give French lessons after school. Everyone in Korle-Bu used to attend these classes which were held in her big compound.

In primary school also, I had a lovely teacher called Mr. Anim who made the class really lively. We used to drum and repeat sentences in French and it was really fun. He would inspect handkerchiefs and pull your ears if you didn’t have a mouchoir. He would also give you a butterfly sticker if you did well in an exam.

I think I am only just realising the role French teachers played in my love for French to the extent that by the time I was 16, I knew that I wanted to teach French when I was older. The only uncertainty at the time was which level I would teach.

I ended up doing French and Spanish at the university, did year abroad and even did my national service at the French department in Legon. I taught French in a primary and secondary school and even did some private tuition.

It’s funny how life has turned out. I am no longer a French teacher but I still love French and never hesitate to teach anyone a few French words when the occasion calls for it.

Bisous

W-A-I-T-I-N-G

I don’t like waiting-at all. Most of the time the issue with waiting is that I feel like I am wasting my time.

For example, if I am at the bank and I have to wait my turn, I begin to wonder why there aren’t more tellers to attend to customers or why systems are not efficient. When I have to wait for food, I wonder what at all makes preparing a meal so tedious.

Now let’s talk about waiting for someone. Let’s say the person is a big person, you really have no choice but to wait because chale you are not coequals… and you can’t help but see how privileged they are to occupy positions of power and to be waited for.

Change the preposition following wait and you give the phrase a whole different meaning. To wait on someone is to be at their beck and call and to do whatever the person wants. Waiting can be tiring, boring, annoying, you name it….

Abi you know say scripture go rep. What does it mean to wait on the Lord or to wait upon the Lord? Let’s assume it means to be at His beck and call? Isn’t it ironic that contrary to what happens when we wait, God says when we wait on Him, our strength is renewed, we walk and not grow tired and we walk and not grow faint and we soar on wings like eagles. It means the more you wait on God, spend time with Him and just sit at his feet, the stronger we become and the more capa we have to face life’s hurdles.

Are you tired of waiting? Does it feel like you’re waiting for life to get better? Spend time with Jesus and sit at his feet and you will realise that you will have a different perspective of what seems to be in a waiting period in life.

Bisous xxx

Planning

Some of us are planners. We are semi obsessed with dates and calendars and cherish weekends and holidays where we can do as we please.

Current job means that weekends and holidays are not for me. Impromptu.com. Last minute stuff can come up and you have to show up.

So it got me thinking… even though you can plan your life and have ambitions, do I allow God to change plans and do I allow Him to be sovereign in my life? Do I trust that His ways are always higher and his plans are always better?

Bisous xx

Interruptions

Everything is going as planned and then there is a major interruption that kind of brings you to a halt? Have you ever experienced that? A reminder that indeed you’re not in charge of your life. A reminder that He is the Potter and you are the clay? That’s my current situation. I am so eager to be on my own and have my own freedom and yet God confines me to a place as if to teach me what freedom is. The next thing on my to-do list is to find out what the Bible says about freedom.

Bisous xxx

Comfort Zone

Sometimes God takes you out of your comfort zone because that is where and how growth takes place. I am currently not in my comfort zone and all I wanna do is kick and scream but I really do not have a choice. 1. I’m an adult. 2. I’m an adult. 3. Kicking and screaming will not change anything.

So what’s the plan if you realise you’re not in your comfort zone? You ask God for help and trust that He will assist you. Chale you also rock the season you are in. You will most likely look back and be grateful that you had the right attitude during that period. After all our attitude should be like that of Christ Jesus.

Bisous xx

The importance of 2

I go walking with my uncle every morning except for Sundays. Left to me alone, I probably wouldn’t go walking cos I would feel lazy. The truth is that it’s easy to do something when you have a partner. I guess my uncle is kind of like my accountability partner/ motivation to go walking.

God says, where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am. He also says if two people agree on something on earth, it will be done in heaven. All God needs is 2 people for his presence to be descend or for heaven to take an action.

It got me thinking about the power of 2. Imagine how much can be achieved if a married couple – 2 people decide to do great things. Or how much can be achieved if 2 individuals decide to embark on a project.

The Bible also says: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour:if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Bisous

Been forever

January 2015.

I was 26 years old.

It’s so funny how we change with time. 7 years ago I was convinced that I wanted to teach full time. 7 years ago I thought I was in love lol…So much has changed over the past 7 years. It took three jobs after teaching to land me where I am today and I am grateful.

You know how you think you’re supposed to have everything figured out by your 20s? That is so not true. You discover yourself even more in your 30s and still do a lot of figuring out. If you’re in your 20s, don’t fret about your career or about finding love. I had numerous jobs in my 20s and all these experiences were necessary. I am 33 and single and trust me it isn’t the end of the world.

Take a day at a time. Love your life and trust that everything will fall in place in God’s time.

Bisous xx

God’s plans

For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. A cliché verse I know. It’s nice to plan and dream about how life should go and how certain boxes should be ticked by a certain age. God says he knows the plans he has for me. It may not be what I have in mind but they are His plans and I am learning to trust him.

Bisous xx

2021

Haven’t blogged in a while- that’s not good at all. So this year has already been eventful- the Capitol wahala in the US, Trump no longer president of the US, the COVID vaccine has been rolled out and then the Meghan interview with Oprah. Whew!

Anyway this year I have three goals:

1. Become a confident cook (don’t laugh)

2. Lose about 7kg

3. Read through the Old Testament

In other news, because of COVID, I work in shifts so I get to work for three days and then I am off for another 3. Que mas? Tired of my signature bun. I really need to look for new hairstyles.

Current challenge? Absence of WiFi at home and so I am constantly buying data. Reliable and fast internet is an absolute must!!!! Oh also , just remembered- at the end of January, my phone fell and the screen got spoilt so let’s just say I have left the Android family and become a member of the Apple family although quite frankly, sometimes I no dey see top for the phone inside.

COVID should hurry up and leave so that I can go swimming and go to the beach cos I really miss that. Finally, I am gonna be 33! As in approaching my mid thirties, as in man dey grow!!! On that note, goodnight.

Bises xx

P.S. Adulting dey be!