Happy Father’s Day

Dear God,

I thank you for this day. Thank you for gracing us with your one and only Son Jesus. I am grateful for your precious gift. Lord, I thank you for your sons here on Earth and for those who you have called home. Today is not an easy day for many of your children so Lord I have come as I am asking that your hands will rest upon each and everyone of your children. Every hurt, pain and tear, we surrender unto you. Your word reminds us that you are a “ father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Psalm 68:5) You are the greatest comforter. You are our source of peace. I pray for anyone reading this that you will find rest in Christ alone. For as many whose father’s are alive but are absent in their lives, I ask their Lord for your love and forgiveness to overflow in their relationship. Lord, I ask that they will reconcile with their Father’s. Let your will be done. For those whose father’s are present, may they cherish every moment with their fathers. For those whose father’s are no longer here with them, may your hands touch their hearts. May they experience your love in a deeper and fresh way daily. Father, I pray and ask that you will raise up a generation of men who will be leaders in their home but also in every areas of their lives; men who aren’t afraid of praying and professing your word. Heavenly Father, I ask that you will strengthen your sons. I ask that you will shoulder their burdens and draw them closer to your presence. May they have intimacy with you all the days of their lives. May they never lose sight of who you are. I pray that you will give each of your sons peace, wisdom and knowledge in every decision that they have to make. Your word remind us that “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7).  Father, I thank you every one of your sons. May you bless and sustain them each and every day of their life. In Jesus name, Amen.

With love,

Your Child

 Happy Father’s Day to every father around the world. You are loved. You are appreciated. You are special. Have a wonderful day. God loves you 🙂

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” ~Joshua 24:15

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Strength Amidst The Trauma

Mission Statement:

We’re a nonprofit organization that educates children and adolescents in Ghana about Child Sexual Abuse prevention. Our safety lessons educate children from ages 4 to 18. The organization visits schools to educate children on the topic of Child Sexual Abuse and its prevalence at schools, homes, and on the streets. We let children know what touches are deemed inappropriate. At schools, we focus on safety lessons. Students are educated in interactive group settings with handouts and informative videos. The organization also host various “Street Editions” where young traders and hawkers are educated on the prevention of Sexual Abuse.

Establishment: 

CSA was established in 2016 in Accra Ghana. This vision of Combating Child Sexual Abuse was birth by Emma T. Akuffo. The founder states, “there’s an immense inattention to child sexual abuse in Ghana, this topic brings discomfort to many but we must acknowledge this as a problem and educate our young ones”. The organization utilizes young dedicated volunteers from various universities in Ghana to educate Children in schools and streets.

Goal:

The organization visits school and conducts sexual abuse prevention workshops. Each week the organization focuses on one school and educate on average, fifty students about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it. Our trained teaching volunteers present safety lessons to students. We let children know what touches are deemed inappropriate, and how to avoid and deal with leading situations. Students are educated in an interactive group settings with handouts and informative videos. The organization also host various “Street Editions” where young traders and hawkers are educated on the prevention of Sexual Abuse.

For more information, please visit our website and our contacts below

http://combatingcsa.org/

https://emmaadvocates.com/

 

Start Reading!

Education doesn’t end in the classroom. The month of April is almost over. What book are you currently reading? So for me, I am reading “Through The Eyes Of A Lion” by Levi Lusko. He shared his testimony while I attended Hillsong Church. It was a blessing and it led me to purchase his book immediately. I bought his book in November 2016 and I’m now reading it. Why? Well I was in college. Though I read while in college, I didn’t get to read this precious book. I’m almost finished. It’s a sad book but yet contains so many nuggets. The books enlisted are the ones I’ve read for the past three months. I’m getting my book ready for the Month of May. God is doing a new thing. My word for this year is Consistency. I will stay focused and not lose sight of what God is doing in my life and around me. It’s very important for us to read. There’s always something to learn when we expand our horizons. You learn so much through other people’s experiences. You don’t always have to wait to be in the situation to have knowledge on how to approach it. There are people who have been through the trials we have faced. They don’t write to share their experiences just for the sake of it. They write to help us when we are also faced with a similar trial. Many times, we can take reading for granted. We don’t value it. If it’s not a requirement for a college assignment, we don’t consider it to be a priority. As a child, my father would always take us to the library to pick up a book. He always taught me the importance of having a dictionary. When you don’t understand a word, look in the dictionary. When you read, you enhance your vocabulary. Though, I don’t always pick up a dictionary, I google the word to get the meaning. I admit that they have been times when I just overlook the word but for the most part, I carry the words my father taught me as a child. So my suggestion for you today is consider reading a book every month, If you haven’t started, it’s not too late. Look for a book on Amazon or pick up a book at your library. Join the fun and adventure :).

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. Feel free to leave any book recommendations for me. Jesus loves you. Have a lovely day 🙂

 

Learn To Cook

 

Learn to cook. Your mother and father won’t always be there. Don’t wait for someone to prepare a meal for you. You were blessed with hands that can do the work. If you want to eat, be prepared to cook what your mouth is hungry for. A farmer doesn’t wait for anyone to plant the seed. He does his part. He waters his own and blesses the village with the fruit of his labor. Ladies, learn to cook. Men, learn to cook. My mother always says as a man it’s good to learn to cook so that no woman will bluff you. There’s no excuse in this day and age. There are so many resources out there for you to learn unless you are lazy. Your laziness will not feed you . You will find yourself ordering food always. Start now and you will get somewhere. My mother always say “cooking is art. Your food is not perfect. There’s always something to learn. When you go to someone’s house and they are making stew, learn from them. If you like their version add what you learn to your own. Don’t think those who are chef’s today didn’t start somewhere.” Cooking is a journey of creating, experimenting and learning. If you don’t know how to cook, I hope you learn. Start by looking at Youtube videos, watch your mother cook or even take cooking classes. Below are a few dishes I’ve prepared and captured. 

 

Pictures

1. Chicken Alfredo (Before the sauce was added)
2. Seasoned Chicken for the Alfredo
3. Plantain Chips
4. Pineapples
5. Chicken, Spinach/Mushroom Pasta
6. Eggs
7. Chicken Light Soup With Spinach
8. Spinach Stew
9. Barbeque Chicken
10. Pie (Before Going Inside The Oven)
11. Pie (Finished Product)
12. Kenkey (Preparation)
13. Kenkey (Finished Product)
14. Waakye (On Stove)
15. Gari Foto
16. Waakye (Finished Product)
17. Plantains (Preparation)
18. Plantains (Finished Product)
19. Waakye + Oxtail Stew + Fried Plantains + Gari Foto

 

 

 

Eat Right!

Are you one of those people who find it difficult to buy what you have on your list? Do you find yourself spending much more than your budget? 

I’m pretty sure we have all heard the saying “what you eat is what you are”. A lot of times when we go to the grocery store, we tend to buy junk and later on regret it. We consume foods that are unhealthy but wonder why we are gaining weight and etc. One tip I always give when it comes to grocery shopping is always ask yourself this question

1. Do I need what I am purchasing?

2. When am I going to use it?

3. Is it part of my budget?

When you get in the habit of asking yourself these simple questions, it will help you in making a wise decision. It’s not everything that you see that you have to buy. I know I don’t always look at the ingredients of the food but that’s something that I need to start doing. What we consume later on affects us. You can treat yourself once in a while. It’s not everyday that you go to the grocery store that you have to buy that chips or candy. As as know, money don’t grow on trees. It’s hard for money to come by these days, so if you don’t need something, look at it and walk away. If there’s an ingredient that’s hard to pronounce, then honey child that food is not something you want to consume. I used to love Cheez-It. When I tell you I loved it, you will be surprised. I can eat four small bags of Cheez-It like it was my life. Until that very day, I went to my internship and one of the ladies told me that Cheez-It’s aren’t good. So I researched and the post I came across made it clear to me. From that very day, I stopped eating Cheez-It. So in this post, I will list the categories when it comes to grocery shopping. Also, if you find it difficult to cook up a meal, look at recipes on youtube or simply just type what you want to make and there will be loads of recipes that will show up.

Categories

1. Fresh vegetables
2. Fresh fruits
3. Spices & herbs
4. Beverages
5. Baby stuff
6. Seafood
7. Meat
8. Dairy
9. Personal care
10. Cleaning products
11. Snacks
12. Paper/Plastic

Picture Credit: NeonBrand, Sonja Langford, Peter Wendt.

Until next time, eat well and take care of yourself. Jesus loves you 🙂

 

 

African Fabric Stores

Picture I took while in Ghana 🇬🇭

Are you in love with African Fabrics but don’t know where to purchase the fabric? I don’t know about you but I know I love me some African Fabrics. If I can have a closet full of clothes, I will have one tailored to just African clothes. So in today’s blog post, I will be sharing with you all where you can purchase African Fabrics in New York City. These are a few places I love. If I visit anymore places, I will share but for now these are the best places for great deals.

Blikis African Fabric

47 W 30th St, New York, NY 10001

AKN Fabrics INC

1239 Broadway #507, New York, NY 10001

Yara African Fabric

2 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027

Holland Textiles

3037 Third Ave, Bronx, NY 10455

African Fabrics Depot

11 E 183rd St, Bronx, NY 10453

OWA African Market

1666 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11207

Fabrics USA Inc.

344 W 38th St Suite# 503, New York, NY 10018

 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I hope you found this post helpful. Until next time, stay blessed & lovely 🙂

With love,

Karen

Happy Independence Ghana

Happy Independence Day to all my Ghanaians all around the world. I hope all of you are enjoying this day. There is so many things I love about Ghana. In this blog post, I will share some thing I love/dislike about Ghana. First off, I love the hospitality of my people. People are very friendly and helpful for the most part. Second, I love our culture/food. Let’s not even start with all the finger licking foods. You will eat and be licking your fingers. The taste of fufu and fresh light soup with chicken on the side. Some waakye with stew/boiled eggs/fiend plantains/talia and shito (pepper). Of course some jollof rice with rich salad/chicken. When it comes to the food, hands down yummy to the yummy. You won’t get tired of trying new delicacies. When it comes to what I don’t like about Ghana from visitation, the gutters and the government. The smell of the gutters is displeasing. You can be walking about 10 minutes and you can smell the gutters from afar. Yes, every country has it’s own issues but this is something that can be fixed. There is no reason why feces/urine should be thrown into the gutters. This is all part of sanitation but I don’t blame them much because it’s due to lack of education. You won’t go to another country and do that but when you return to your own land, you don’t apply what you learned because your accustomed to that behavior. When it comes to the government , there’s so many things that can be done. It saddens me to see student complete University but yet still can’t find a job. The rich are getting richer and the poor are selling peanuts on the roadside to make ends meet. Ghana is a beautiful country. Inasmuch as there’s improvement that needs to be made, it’s still a peaceful country. It brought be so much joy to simply see children walk around the block having fun. People are struggling but the joy they have is so unexplainable. Home sweet Home. Oh how did I forget about the blazing heat? Chai, it’s so hot in Ghana. Charle it’s no joke at all. If you have air condition in your house, you are blessed. The heat will have you taking a shower at least three times. Pants sticking to your thighs, sweat upon sweat after walking a long while. Besides that, Ghana is sweet. You will enjoy it. If you can go to Ghana this year, go. There is so much to experience in one trip.

Akan Names

Sunday: Kwesi, Siisi, Akwasi, Kosi;
Akosi, Akosiwa, Así, Esi, Kwasiba.

Monday: Kwadwó, Adwoa, Kodjó, Kojo, Jojo, Cudjoe;
Adjua, Ajwoba, Adjoa, Adjowa

Tuesday: Kwabená, Abena, Komlá, Komlã, Komlan, Kabenla Kobby, Ebo, Kobi, Kobina

Wednesday: Koku, Kokou, Kweku, kaku, Kuuku;
Akú, Ekua, Akua, Kwaku

Thursday: Yaw, Yao, Yaba, Yawo, Ekow, Kow, Kwaw;
Ayawa, Baaba, Yaaba, Aba, Yaa

Friday: Kofí, Afua, Koffi, Fiifi, Yoofi

Saturday: Ato, Kwami, Kuwame, Kwamena, Kwamina, Komi;
Ame, Ami, Amba, Ameyo, Kwame, Ama, Amma

Thank you for stopping by my blog. Until next time, stay lovely 🙂