OUR YEAR IN REVIEW

OUR YEAR IN REVIEW

This post is dedicated to each and every reader of mine, who helped to make the 2016 Changing the Status Quo journey a memorable one. Here is a recap of the memories we had together, and I hope you will be blessed by it.

The New Year begun with so much hope and excitement, coupled with the uncertainty of the unknown. There were many labels attached to the year, such as My Year of Glory, My Year of Influence, My Year of Restoration, among others. CTSQ always had a way of summing up each experience we had, and this year would not have been the same without people like you.

There were times when we felt like we were going through a DRY LAND where things were not going according to plan. However, we did not lose sight of the fact that we were still capable of creating a RIPPLE EFFECT wherever we found ourselves, whilst being a CARRIER of hope and love wherever we went.

Various events throughout the year also reminded us of our need to appreciate the fact that we are Ghanaians for a reason, as we heard in GHANA’S CRY. We were also blessed with family, friends and people who served as VALUABLE MIRRORS through which we learnt important everyday lessons. Though things were not always easy, the AUTHENTIC LOVE we share made our lives much warmer, renewing our hope that we have a FIELD OF PLAY on which we can achieve our hopes and dreams. In working towards our goals, our belief was renewed that through us, Ghana can become the STAR OF THE WEST she is destined to be. When circumstances even threatened to discourage us, we held on to the power we have to CREATE OUR WORLD with our words and the right attitude.

In being the best we could be, there were times when we needed to look BEYOND THE SHINE to what truly mattered…a genuine heart. The year was certainly a LONG HAUL, but our efforts eventually paid off. Along the line, we took some time off for some REFLECTIONS THROUGH THE RAIN, being reminded that even during the BUMPY RIDE of life, we still have one another and above all God; there were still some valuable lessons we went home with.

The ride was much easier because we constantly remembered to say a PRAYER; and as a result, the BLUES we sometimes felt as the GHANA MAN were much easier to handle.

There have been many blessings in disguise this year, like we saw in CAR TROUBLE…OR BLESSING? Including the ELECTIONS witnessed THROUGH MY EYES, which were a stark reminder of how blessed we are as Ghanaians. We ended on a warm note, through A LITTLE LESSON ON LOVE which reminded us that we can make others’ lives better with just a simple act of love.

We do not know what the year 2017 holds, but I do know that we are still alive for a purpose, and the world is waiting to be impacted upon by us. There is a song that encouraged me throughout the year, which basically says:

There’s a race I must run,

There are victories to be won

Give me power, every hour

To be true.

It is my prayer that in the coming year, we will remain true to our purpose, which includes being a shining light wherever we find ourselves.

Changing the Status Quo could never be half of what it is now without you, and for that I say a big thank you and God bless you! May whatever talents you have within make a difference in the lives of others far and near. I know we are going to have a great 2017 together, God willing!

Stay blessed and Happy New Year in advance!

P.S. What was your favorite post this year? To view all the posts mentioned in today’s post, just click on ghblessed.blogspot.com, and please don’t forget to like our Facebook page on https://m.facebook.com/ChangingTheStatusQuo

*photo credits: Google

A LITTLE LESSON ON LOVE

The Christmas season is here again, and I would like to share this heartwarming experience with you:

A LITTLE LESSON ON LOVE

After quite a busy day, I just decided to take a little break from everything and reflect on whatever was going on around me. I had momentarily forgotten that I was in the classroom of life and was bound to learn a lesson or two before my ‘break’ ended.

A young girl passed by happily holding a cone of ice- cream in one hand and some food in another, obviously a treat from her father, who was beside her. Not taking much notice, I looked elsewhere to see what next could catch my attention, when I realized that the little girl was walking back, her treat still in hand. She was walking back alone, with her father watching her from a distance. In a few seconds, I learnt something a thirty minute sermon may not have been able to teach me. Our little lady walked up to a young boy who had been sitting on the curb (and whom I had failed to notice) and handed her ice-cream to him. Though she did not look too pleased, she did not seem to hold any grudge with her young neighbor, and quickly went to join her dad, with just one hand occupied now.

Some questions popped up in my mind, which I would like to ask my fellow Status Quo Changers as well:

©      First of all, how often do we take time off everything to just reflect?

In our times especially, life seems to be getting busier and faster by the minute. We need to make a conscious effort to pause, revitalize and then advance. No doubt if I had not gone on that little break from everything, I may have missed out on a great lesson, no matter how little it seemed; a lesson that will stay with me for quite a while.

©      What do we as parents (or potential parents) teach the children around us?

This little girl most probably could not believe her ears when her dad asked her to hand over her ice cream to a total stranger; but the practicality of the teaching will definitely be imprinted on her young mind for quite some time.

Our present attitude is most of often shaped by the little things taught us by our parents. In return, the attitude of the children who also watch us will be influenced by what we say and do. At this point, I would like us to take a moment to just whisper a prayer of gratitude to God for our parents. They have in one way or another been channels of blessings, paving the way for us to also make an impact.

©      Give in order to receive

Before the girl gave out her ice-cream, both her hands were occupied. After her sacrifice though, she had one hand free, with which she could have received something else from her dad. Sometimes, we hold on to what we have so tightly that we end up missing out on our blessing. No matter how difficult it may be to give at times, there is always a blessing, be it direct or indirect, hidden or obvious. A step of sacrificial love could just be the key to that door of blessing you have been waiting for.

©      How sensitive are we to the needs of those around us?

Surprisingly, I had not taken much notice of the young boy sitting on the curb. As such I did not fulfill any need the boy may have had. There are so many people on our streets these days, yes, who seem to be in need and it may sometimes seem so mundane that we no longer feel the need to reach out. But we still need to keep our eyes open to spot the particular people God has sent our way to be a blessing to them. Today you may be a blessing, but tomorrow someone may in turn be a blessing to you.

I forgot to add…the little boy in his surprise took the ice-cream, savored how it felt in his hand, and devoured it hungrily. Your gift to someone may not necessarily be an ice-cream, but it could certainly be a little act of love that would make our world a much warmer place!

Even as Christmas is here again, let us not forget the true reason for the season, JESUS CHRIST, Who is the ultimate Example of true sacrificial love. People may never see Jesus physically, but you could be a signpost of His never-ending, all-encompassing love.

©      A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU WITH LOVE!

*Please don’t forget to like and share our Facebook page on https://m.facebook.com/ChangingTheStatusQuo

ELECTIONS THROUGH MY EYES

ELECTIONS THROUGH MY EYES

The Election Day was finally here and I was determined to make it to my polling station as early as I could, so I would not have to spend the whole day queuing to vote. It turned out my ‘early’, which was 4.30am, was not as early as I thought, as I was welcomed with the sight of numbers of people who had obviously spent the night there. I wondered whether it was out of patriotism or out of convenience (like in my case). Before I could come up with an answer however, my thoughts were drowned out by the ruckus going on about how we should queue and where. The slight confusion was quickly settled, though not noiselessly, by a polling agent who finally gave us some direction as to what to do.

By the time I had found a comfortable place to sit in my zone’s queue (a poor cement block had now become my chair); the sun was already rising, making the clearly tired faces more visible to me. Despite the obvious anxiety to start voting, people were still willing to volunteer information to ‘newcomers’ as to which line they should join, or at least to give a smile to an occasional joke that was cracked to ease any tension that could be felt in the air.

By 7.00am, people had started yelling “Aban, 7 abo oh”, which indirectly means “it is 7.00am Electoral Commission. Let us vote.” That was of course after they had made it very clear to the polling agents that they wanted the booths to face us, so we could see everything going on. We needed every form of transparency we could possibly get at that time. Not too long after, the voting process began and went on smoothly due to the commitment of a self-appointed ‘queue monitor’, who took it upon himself to make sure the line moved smoothly with his constant “Hey, you are next.”

All the way over at the other side of the polling station, in another queue, I could hear loud exchanges which I later found out to be from irate people who did not understand why people were trying to jump the queue, or simply why they had been directed to join the wrong line because some people did not know the difference between the alphabets ‘G’ and ‘J’.

By 7.45am, I left my zone, a satisfied first time voter, now waiting till evening to hear the results trickle in, no doubt like every interested Ghanaian was. In waiting back home, I kept flipping through television channels to remain updated on what was going on in various parts of the country. One thing that struck me was the constant number of peace songs that kept being played to remind Ghanaians that “Peace is all we need”. This made me wonder: Should our peace or stability be tied only to elections every four years? Is our peace really a tradable item for political power?

Sadly however, some people are willing to give up their lives and the little they have, not for their country, but for the people they support. The reality is that the people we are sometimes willing to ‘lose our lives for’ have not even met us directly or been of much help to us. Yet all it takes is a clarion call, and people will gladly pour out onto the streets.

It is often said that ‘Experience is the best teacher’; but sometimes we need to learn from the mistakes of others. Wrongful or misplaced zeal has never helped any group of people or country, as seen in civil wars and other terrible prices paid. It is up to us as Ghanaians not to place the destiny and peace of our nation into the hands of just a few people. Ghana belongs to us all, and this is a truth we need to be aware of not only during the election period, but every moment of our lives. Better yet, our prayers for Ghana should not be tied to selective moments in the nation’s life, but should rather be the constant burden we carry for our country each and every day.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you are a Ghanaian and not a citizen of any other country? Your purpose could be as hidden as praying in your closet for the nation’s wellbeing, or as big as being the President of Ghana someday. Whatever our purpose may be, Ghana depends on us for posterity as much as we depend on her. Ghana could be much better because of you. May our interest in the country span beyond any number of elections we may ever have to witness.

GOD BLESS GHANA.

LONG LIVE GHANA.