Purpose

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Purpose Nothing happens in a vacuum. There exists nothing without a cause, an objective is sought to be achieved at the end of the day. Purpose is what answers the question, \”why is that in existence\”. Have you asked yourself the Why question before? We are usually susceptible to asking the Who I am question and absolutely ignore the Why am I who I am? She gets out of bed as the sun rays strike the Ivory voil curtains gorgeously hanging at her windows. She bends her knees before her bed. It was at this point the devil knew he was out of control yeah. She says her morning prayers, heads for her bathroom. She stands in awe, of who she is. What she\’s made up of, her most intricate assets are beyond what meets the eye. She stares at how graciously her kinky hair is coiled up in the messy bun she wore to work the previous day. She looks into her eyes, and sees nothing but life. She murmurs, thank you God, for who I am. The woman I am becoming, the girl I was yesterday and the lady I\’ll be forever be. I am a Phenomenal Woman. Just in the nick of time, while she\’s having some me time, she pauses for a second as she realises an error. An error that has lingered on for as long as is deemed possible. In a soliloquy, she says, why am I phenomenal? Is it so I can just brag about it? Is it so I can be a self-acclaimed phenomenal woman like some self acclaimed queens? Is it just for the title and applause? Why am I a woman? Why am I me? Purpose is the reason for which something is. It is why something exists. It also defines a person\’s resolve or determination. It is often said that the most important day in the life of a person is not the day they\’re born, but rather the day they pass out of this side of eternity. However, I stand to differ. The most valuable day in the life of every person is the day they discover why they were created. The day you unearth your purpose. The reason is that whatever or however you go about your purpose on earth, determines how you\’ll live, and ultimately your eternity. No one is brought into this world by mistake. I have heard circumstances where a child is regarded as a mistake because the parents had no intention of reproducing their kind. Even before the embryo fertilised and formed a zygote, thus a clot of blood, God knew the life that was within and had a purpose for him or her. You may have gotten pregnant involuntarily, but God did not create that life involuntarily. He\’s an intentional God. He doesn\’t do anything in the spur of the moment. Who you are as an individual is fairly easy to discover than why you are who you are. Socialisation, family, religion, education and relationships aid us in discovering our identity. Howbeit, discovering your identity isn\’t the end of the journey. Discovering why your identity is such and such is purpose. As a woman, have you ever asked why God made you a woman? And why God made you as an individual? A purpose driven life is a fulfilled life. It is a life well lived. It is a life thar has direction and focus. It is a joyous and happy life. Everyone has a purpose, which is distinctive and exclusive to them. In the subsequent weeks (I\’ll try to wrap this series up as soon as I can), we’ll discuss PURPOSE. Love, Nelia.phenomenalwoman

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The Woman At The Well: Freedom in Truth

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The Woman At The Well Our fair story begins in the town of Sychar in the region of Samaria as a woman writes in her diary: Dear Diary, Today was hotter than most days and as usual, I was walking to Jacob’s well all alone… *Sigh*… when I noticed this fiiiiiiiinnneeee man sitting on the edge. From the looks of it, he is Jewish! I mean, his sandals, his hair, his nose…. Just screaming Jewish to me. That meant that I was going to get one load of a talk down because Jewish and Samaritans just don\’t vibe.. you get what I mean? Alright so I fetch my water as far away from him as possible when this man asks me for some of my water. First off, I think this man must be lost or something because: 1. Jewish and Samaritans do not share bowls… they hate us! Well our fathers told us after the Israelites who settled in Sychar were defeated by the Asssyrians, the Samaritans intermarried them. This made the Jews furious as they believed the true blood of Isreal had been altered by Pagans. They found no need in associating with us anymore. So yes they despise us. 2. I am a woman and one dishonoured woman as a fact so he, as a rabbi and all, isn\’t meant to talk to me at all. So I state the obvious about Jews, Samaritans and bowls then he says, \”If only you knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him and he would give you life-giving water\” Surprised, I look at his feet. There was no bucket at all so I told him how deep the well was. He listened with a smug grin as I asked where he would get the water from. \”You don\’t claim to be greater than our father Jacob, do you? \” He tips his head to the well and says, \”All those who drink this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again\”. I look at him like ohh so if you do have water that when one drinks of, one will never thirst again, why must you bug me for water? He goes on further and said the water would come from a spring that gives life-giving water to give eternal life. Woah, where my cup at? Then, He tells me to hold up and asks for my husband and that\’s when your girl right here gets real shy. I tell him that I have no ring on my finger and he says I know you\’ve been married to five men and the guy I live with hasn\’t put a ring on me. Prophesy game strong, I see. He goes on talking about worship and when I mention that I know the Messiah will come to tell we, Samaritans everything, he says he *is* the Messiah. Soon, his company appears and from the looks on their faces it looks like they aren’t happy. I dash away to tell the others that the Messiah actually spoke to me. Talk about a story.. Now, right now, I am wondering why the Messiah, saviour of the world, looked through the fact that I am a Samaritan Woman and spoke to me. I know I am not the type to talk to… I mean, I go to the well all alone when going to the well is supposed to be something fun and chatty for women to do in groups… I married five men and I\’m with my sixth in the series…. I am Samaritan, one who worships God on mountains… Well, not much to be proud of, if you catch my flow but hey, He actually looked through this to say \”what\’s up\”. Well, then that means God must be this carefree and free spirited( ie He really sees me through His eyes and love). He won\’t care if I was jobless, homeless or was a harlot, He would look through my flaws and talk to me. He won\’t jeer or scowl because He is not human, not like the other gods or even fellow humans. With a God so forgiving, I should be prepared to give myself to Him and talk to him because with Him, my shame is cast away. What a lesson… I should be full of hope and faith. Secondly, I learnt to not comprehend certain things with human morals. When he asked me to give him water, I went straight to the rules. Being the person I was deemed to be, I wanted to play it safe and avoid any trouble. I realised then that I have been drinking too much from water that is earthly, water that would get me even more thirstier. Water that would make me question His asking me for such a simple thing like water. I should rather be drinking water that would give me eternal life. I should try to get that water by doing good things in life, not discriminating and following the word. That\’s what will give me the water that gives eternal life. Eternal life in Heaven. I won\’t be thirsty ever again because doing good comes with self-satisfaction. I totally get it now. I wish I knew his name though but I have a feeling I would soon find out. Now, I must go and share this lesson with other people so my cup can be filled…and tell of the freedom I gained in truth… Love, the woman at the well♡♡ If the woman at the well of Samaria kept a diary, and she had to recount Her encounter with Jesus, this is how it would have read. However, that woman at well, represents a fraction of us, women today. Ostracised from society by our faults, sins and shortcomings. Set apart for all the wrong reasons. Having little to no confidence in ourselves. Going to

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SHELMAY!

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This has been my most interesting interview ever. Here’s why; this conversation cum interview you’re about to read was originally a mere informal conversation between myself and Sherrlie. I realised this is all I needed for an interview. So I told her, Sherrlie you know what, this conversation just became an interview session. She then said “Nelia you’ve breached our contract???????”. I said “I am sorry but thank you for taking the headache off me!” So I asked some follow up questions after well, a very, very, very, very, lengthy, detailed, and incredible self pitch I have ever come across. So what it means is that today, Sherrlie does majority of the talking! My dear Phenomenal Women, SHERRLIE MAISON! Shirley: My name is Shirley Esther Maison. But I love to be called SHELMAY?. I am the second to the first and the last of the two ??. I had my crèche at Jack and Jill and then went to Seven Great Princess Academy from nursery to JHS 1 second term where I had to painfully change schools because we(my family) were relocating to our permanent house at Kasoa. I continued my JHS education at West End International School where I completed and wrote my BECE. Now let me chip in to say that during this stage of my life it was a battle because that was my first major change and it disoriented my thinking and greatly affected my social skills. I had to learn how to make new friends and associates. I was greatly familiar with my former church, school and community. This was a tough one but I braced it. I gained admission to Wesley Girls high school where I read Home Economics. Truth is I loved “geyhey” before I got there because my big sister was there as well as my aunties and literally every other woman around me was a geyhey noisemaker ???? so I pretty much had no option because as they say “if u can’t beat them join them” . During my stay there I was member of the red cross society and it was during my red cross days that I learnt how to go out to help the kakumdo community to dress their sores and other basic first aid knowledge was acquired as well. If there is any other lesson I learnt from this experience, it was how I could get out of my comfort zone and help others. In addition to my contributions to the Red Cross Society, I was part of a club called FORUM FOR AFRICAN WOMEN EDUCATIONIST. It was a forum where issues about women and empowerment were discussed as well as the development of skills. We included basic etiquette such as eating, walking and essentially anything about being a lady. In the course of it, I became the vice president and then later we merged with another ladies group and became one club called GENDA AGENDER still clinging on to the position of a VICE PRESIDENT. Along the line I became a member of the chapel committee and also a bible study leader where we prepared for service and led bible studies. I completed my senior high school education not with just an academic accomplishment, but with some knowledge about the world, the Word and also about volunteerism. I proceeded to the University of Ghana where I read Linguistics, French and Spanish. During my second semester in first year I joined a ministry on campus called MASS THEATRE; a Christian theatre ministry that taught the biblical and spiritual reasoning for all the acts and dance and recitals we take on stage. What the world calls performance , we call a ministration. ?? . I Was in this ministry my whole four years in the university. It was a great privilege because I grew spiritually and also to understand some basic principles we overlook. I cannot use this platform to throw more light but just to say the least, I will always go back to mass theatre if I were a fresher in university again. Aside my ministry I was introduced to an NGO by a friend. At that time the ngo was called INSPYA GHANA. We visited far and near communities to spend a couple of days with them and mentored the kids, donated materials and also had some other ngos on board to help with health screenings and discussions. We had time for the parents and teachers as well. Infact we blended so well with the communities we visited such that leaving them was always heartbreaking.  During my last year in the university, I was made the PROJECT DIRECTOR of the NGO and I am still in the position. My responsibilities cut across working hand in hand with my assistant and together with the organizing director and also with the marketing director at times in terms of working on projects and evaluating communities that may need our help. I am also incharge of assigning roles and involving volunteers, members and our partners in all our projects and events. I must say this exposure has been one of a kind. One thing I have learnt and still learning is that you do not need to get to where you want to be before you pull others along. Pull them along as you move. The world will be a far more better place if we could see through the struggles of others and help them. Nelia:Whewww! That was some introduction right there! Moving on, if you were a book what would be your title and why. Shirley: Hahaha a book????. Umm hmm. The Secret UNKNOWN. why? Because I believe there’s still more to know than you know now????. Well but essentially there’s more to unravel and there’s more to explore about myself. Nelia:  How about if you were a colour, what would you be and why? Shirley: Colour? .BLUE??? . Blue because it is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth

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The Folly of Self love

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The Folly of Self Love The folly of self love is basically refusing to grow, learn, inspire and change. The world will tell you that if people leave your life, let them go! They are the problem, not you. Some will also say they didn’t deserve to be a part of my life, good riddance to bad rubbish. Worse off, is those who say “I am me, deal with who I am or walk away”. There are two sides to this coin. Truth being told, not everyone has to be a part of your life, which is the first side of this coin. Your life is like a tree. There are the roots, the branches, and the leaves. The leaves in your life are the very temporary people. Those people are not meant to be stuck with you forever. Usually these are the persons who teach you a few lessons about life, relationship and friendship. Mind you, a tree can have millions of leaves, but they’re still leaves. They’re there to take from the tree, and give shade to the tree, thus block your shine. The branches, are more cunning than the leaves. The branches appear to give some form and stamina to the tree and leaves. It has more direct contact to the tree. However, when a mighty wind blows, or a storm hits the tree, these branches fall off. So will the people who are branches in your life. They give you temporary support and form. It feels as though they’re unimaginably connected to you in all facets of your life; but hold on. When life’s pressures hit you, and the storms of life come at you, they fall off and leave, and all you have left are the roots! THE ROOTS, not visible through the humus filled soiled, but are ever present. Akans have a proverb, that even a stump of tree has hope of growing into a mighty tree again one day, because of the presence of the roots. The roots are the “realest” people there is. If you have just a few of them in your life, keep them. Because even when your life falls apart, they’ve got nowhere going. They are not fair-weather friends like the branches, neither are they shady friends like the leaves. The second part of the coin is if no one wants to be a part of your life, you’re the problem. Be it as it may, the leaves, branches and roots come together to form a tree. A tree without roots cannot have branches and consequently leaves. A tree without leaves is deemed to be a dead tree. I guess all I am saying is, regardless of who they are and what part they play in your life, you need one or two people around. If no one, not even “leaves” want to be in your life, my dear, you’re the problem. I believe one thing in life, that people are drawn to people of their kind. I beg your pardon, even insane people on the streets identify and roll with one another. No matter who you are, there are people you should be able to identify yourself with. The folly of self love is for those who feel they’re it all. People who always blame others when their friendship or relationship doesn’t work. It takes two to tango. The basis of the folly of self love is selfishness. The “me, myself and I”. The I am perfect clause. The no need to change who I am for anyone. From where I sit, I have identified three items and misconceptions about self love which results in folly. • I CAN’T AND WON’T CHANGE; THIS IS WHO I AM: It is indeed true, that God intentionally and deliberately made you who you are. You are unique indeed. But, when you don’t accept that as human, you’re not flawless, and as such you must make the conscious effort to be the better and original you that you are then there’s trouble. • IF THEY LOVE ME, THEY’LL TAKE ME AS I AM: This is the most pathetic lie you could ever tell yourself. Whatever improvement, growth and change you go through its for yourself first, before society. No one has to deal with a piece of work. No one loves a liability. • THEY DON’T DESERVE ME: If you’ve ever said this to yourself, I really hope you sat to think about it well. As I mentioned earlier on, you don’t need to keep everyone around you. The bitter truth is there’s always some better deserving than you. No matter who you are, there’s someone, somewhere, this minute, better than you in every sense of the word. All am saying is be wise enough to accept it when something is your fault. It’s difficult I know. Shifting blame always seems like the pleasurable route out, but until when will u keep deceiving yourself, that no one deserves you?

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Hannah

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Hannah. Many many many years ago a man lived. He had two wives. The wife whom he dearly loved was barren. The other bore him a lot of children that his heart was at peace; but for a while. The woman who bore him children mocked the one whom he loved, but was barren. The woman whom he loved wept and prayed. Her tears were her three square meals for a day. And it was, that every year, this man together with his half happy half sad family will visit the Lord at Shiloh to pray, offer sacrifices and commune with the Lord and one another. And it so happened, that on this particular journey to Shiloh, something extraordinary happened. There was a shift in the woman who he loved’s prayer life. She knelt down at the altar and prayed her womb out. She prayed for long hours nonstop – a prayer marathon. She prayed till she could utter no words. She prayed till her ribs felt like they were cracking out of dryness. She prayed until she was drunk in prayer! She asked God one thing, a son, whom she “covenanted” to give back to God when he was of age. Fast forward to the year after, the woman drunk in prayer had a son. She could not attend the annual meeting at Shiloh because she wanted to wean the son she bore so she could honour her part of the covenant as God had obviously honoured his part. Spoiler alert, the woman is Hannah, who bore Samuel, one of the greatest prophets in Israel. The one who anointed David King over Israel( oh my don’t get me started on Samuel). Hannah’s rival, Penninah mocked her. The kind of mockery that would make Hannah stay in her room all day, to avoid Penninah. The mockery that would force Hannah to starve herself all day, and sneak out at night to get some bread to munch on and wash it down with a bottle of asaana or sobolo. But when Hannah’s glory came, and she honoured her covenant, her son’s legacy has lived on till date. Not even one of Penninah’s children had their names mentioned in the Bible. Well I haven’t seen it yet, if you have, kindly let me in on it. Lessons. 1. Penninahs are needed in our lives: Hannah must have been throwing a pity party for herself already before Penninah came on the scene. But here’s the part Penninah played, her mockery made Hannah sit up, take matters into her hands and literally have a banter with God. After which she received her results. Penninahs (I actually love the name though) are the persons in our life who criticise our every move. In fact, your very existence, to them is an error. Penninah is that person who makes fun of your unfortunate situation. Penninah I that person who tells you God has forsaken you and He doesn’t love you. Penninah is the person who never wishes you well, but their lives look as though it perfect and glorious. Penninah is the reason all that glitters is not gold. But a Penninah is also the reason God will perform His word. A Penninah is the reason you should take the bull by the horn and deal with the core of your problems. That Penninah is the reason God will give you the Gold, when it looks like you have nothing put stones in your hand. 2. Ask God Until He Says Something Tangible – What prayer can’t do, more prayer can do. What more prayer can’t do, much more prayer will do! Hannah prayed until she had heaven’s attention and submitted her petition. Hannah travailed in prayer, and she brought forth. She literally touched the hem of God’s garment like the woman with the issue of blood 3. Honour God when He Honours you. Don’t try playing smart. Do what you said you’d do and do it well. Hannah didn’t play wayo! She did what she said she would, gave the son back to God. Theologians actually believe that she had other sons after Samuel; because she honoured her word. God is not a man that He would lie, nor the son of man to change His mind. Love, Nelia.phenomenalwoman Ps: Don\’t forget to let me know you passed by ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

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Interview-Excellencial.

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Miss Excellencial Betty Boatemaa With the spate of unemployment, especially for young university graduates in our country, it takes bravery, innovation and positivity to decide to be an entrepreneur. Finding an opportunity in what seems to be a competitive world is worth celebrating. Today, our guest,  a twenty-four-year-old graduate of KNUST decision against all odds to stand a business; a unique and pretty interesting one at that. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Excellencial Betty Boatemaa Nelia: Hi Betty, kindly  tell us about yourself and your business most especially. Betty: Having started Excel Sobolo while at the University, I gained experience in marketing as the General Manager. I had the opportunity to improve my communication skills, interpersonal skills and decision making skills. Juggling academic work and business at school produced effective time management skills in me. The joy of starting an initiative and working towards its success continued after University. Currently I am the Founder of Kubenut. Kubenut is a partnership type of business which is responsible for production of packaged tender coconut water and the coconut pulp. Kubenut aims to deliver nutritious, thirst quenching, refreshing, energizing and high quality tender coconut water and its pulp to its customers. Kubenut places a great deal is on safety, hygienic, healthy and attractive packaging. Customer satisfaction is our hallmark. It is a part time work at the moment and wish to expand it in future. I have a goal of reading International Business Management as my second degree programme to boost my business development and management skills. In future, I want to be Business Developer and Marketing Manager for a global brand company in the industry of food and beverages. Nelia: Goals! You will surely achieve what you\’ve set out to achieve. How growing up like for you? Betty:  Growing up having a teacher as a mother, you got to learn hard and excel. My childhood was more about books. So I guess my childhood was pretty normal then. Nelia: What motivates you in life. Betty: Successful stories of people who have made it in life. People who have made in against all of life’s circumstances. I feel like I have no excuse to fail at all. Nelia: Any particular unfortunate experiences that you’ve encountered in life? (Any story you can share that will inspire and encourage someone reading it.) Betty: I didn’t grow up to see a male figure in my house, my mother has played both roles and she is a fighter. She is now on pension but was a Diploma Teacher. By grace, she has seen all of us through the university. I am the last born. It hasn’t been easy financially, but God has been good. She is my number one role model. Nelia:I\’m sorry about not having a male figure in your life. But all things work together for our good. How did you rise above it? Betty: The excellence mindset. Nelia: The excellence spirit indeed. I\’m pretty convinced this is what incited you to start your own business right after leaving school. As a startup entrepreneur, what influenced your decision to start KUBENUT? Betty: The fact that any fruit can be taken in the office except coconut because of the nature of the fruit. So then I figured if it cold be packaged neatly and made convenient, people, especially  those in the corporate sector will patronise it. Nelia: Exactly. Find a problem in society, find a way to fix it. People will pay for it.  Howbeit I suppose it hasn\’t been a smooth ride. What are some of the risks you had to take as a startup? What has kept you going? Betty: Financial risks and what keeps me going is knowing that a customer is satisfied with your product and services. It gives you some unexplainable joy. Nelia: Where do you envision KUBENUT to be in the next 5 years? Betty: In 5 years’ time, I see Kubenut obtain Food and Drugs Authorization number, have had more hands on board and have captured the whole of Greater Accra and another region. Nelia: How would you define success? Betty: Having positive influence and impact on your society. Nelia: Growing up, who’s been your mentor and why? Betty: Joyce Meyer. She had fought the good fight of faith and she is where she is now. Nelia: If you were a book, what would be your title and why? Betty: How Grace Works. Because my life is grace influenced. Nelia:  We all are indeed grace bound! If you were a colour, which one would you be and why? Betty: Red, signifying the blood of Jesus, so precious to me. Nelia: THE BLOOD! What does it mean to be a Phenomenal Woman for you? Betty: A Phenomenal Woman is a woman who is influencing her society positive and having impact on them. Nelia: Finally, an advice to your fellow sisters out there. Betty: Seeth thou a man diligent in his ways, he shall stand before kings. Be diligent in what you do, you will be at the top. Nelia: See you at the top darling. Thank you! This interview was made possible by Arbie Marfoa Marfo, Team Member of the Phenomenal Woman Blog and a great friend of Miss Betty. Don\’t forget to let me know you passed by! Love, Nelia

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Looking Witihin

20 Comments / Self-love. /

Looking Within-Self-Love as a Christian   At the beginning of the series, I mentioned the fact that Self-love is a phenomenon that has been foreign in the body of Christ for a long time. It’s rather sad, that as children of the light and of the kingdom, we lose guard of what we have. The world takes it from us, then we attempt to copy it back from the world, when we have the original prototype. The question then is, as a Christian young woman and a budding phenomenal woman, what does self love mean to you? Ziona takes us through the answer. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) This scripture is like a master key that opens many doors only if you would use it. Let us take Galatians 2:20 as it is; thus as believers we are dead (\”I no longer live\”) and there is a major takeover of our bodies by Christ . Now, we are alive but this time around In Christ and this is by Faith. So for anyone to get to you or for you to even find yourself, you must go through Christ! Remember that Christ in you is the hope of Glory and to attain that glory includes knowing Christ first, then knowing your position in Him. To love Christ is to know Him more than just the Christmas story of Him born in a manger. To love Christ is to know Him more. Learn about Him from His Word(the Bible) and even more from the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). When you begin to love Christ in you, there are things you begin to do, attitudes you begin to exhibit, your very demeanor changed. In fact you begin to bear good fruits (physical changes or noticeable characteristics of a Christian). Thereafter would you be conscious of who you are in Christ.(your royalty, the power and authority you command, your position, benefits and many more) Take note of this, this is not applicable to the unbeliever because he/she does not have Christ in him or her. This is why we must be careful not to rush to follow trends of \”self love\” the way an unbeliever would. If you do so, you\’ll end up in the wrong track. Your boast must be in the Lord. (Psalm 34:2) Do not be deceived, this does not mean that when you love Christ in you, you become timid, insecure, shabby clothing, not taking the spotlight or leadership positions. If you do these things you rather make the blood of Jesus of no effect! Mercy. You loving Christ every moment of each day opens the eyes of your heart to see the glory of the Lord risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1-2) You will begin to see an inner beauty which radiates from the inside outwardly. As that happens, you begin to feel more confident wherever you go because you acknowledge there is more to you. (Joshua 1:9) You neither dress indecently nor shabbily to gain a false sense of love, confidence and attention . You dress like a royal, decent but still good looking. Your crown radiates the glory of Heaven here on earth. Ever seen a queen wearing sensually provocative clothes? No I don\’t think so. Yet you call yourself a \”slay Queen\”. What on earth are you slaying? The last time I checked,  Queens don\’t slay, (that is destroy), Queens build. You want to be called a queen? Work for it.  Your speech is not uncouth or filled with fear but instead it is filled with wisdom and authority (1 Peter 2:9) You do not allow yourself to be filled with gloomy and depressed thoughts because you know you have the mind of Christ and all things shall turn around for your good. For He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. You would never realize this if you do not look within and see Christ. Trust me on this; when you put a conscious effort to do this, you will see the manifestation of a new creation and nothing will stop you! P. S- For the single ladies and even those already hooked up listen, the gentleman MUST reach into Christ to get to you. If he found you on the road to Christ, you had better make an informed decision. \”And do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers \”.There are some unbelieving believers out there (but that is a story for another day) so dear Phenomenal woman do WATCH AND PRAY. Beautifully written by Ziona Neequaye( Team Member, THE PHENOMENAL WOMAN ) Love, Nelia.phenomenalwoman  I\’d love to know you read this piece, kindly drop your comments below. 

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Rahab

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Rahab Hello everyone. We will be doing a short study on Rahab for this month. Rahab is first mentioned in the Bible in Joshua 2. Remember the two men who were sent by Joshua to spy the land of Jericho? Yhup, it was Rahab’s place they lodged. Okay, I know you knew that already. I hope we also remember it was around the same time the Lord was about sending His children into the Promised Land. Rahab is a name which means broad, spacious or vast. It is believed the first part of her name(Ra) might have been from the Egyptian god Ra. She dwelt on the city wall in Jericho. Jericho was a pagan environment where almost every  tom, dick and harry that dwelt there participated in idol worship. She dwelt there with her father,mother, brothers and sisters. She was a prostitute(or harlot). We can also see that she had some knowledge about the God of Israel(Joshua 2:10,11). She is one of the only four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Chris(Matt 1:5). She is the only woman mentioned by name in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11. Lessons to be learnt from Rahab Rahab was a thinker! The first thing that strikes me about Rahab is her ability to think and act. And I see this in various acts of hers. For instance; The way she responded when she was asked about the men. Oh yeah…..she did lie. But we are not bent on highlighting any weakness of hers. She gave them an answer(and with bravery) which they had no reason to doubt for a second. The men didn’t even consider searching her room for the spies just in case she had lied.   And thinkers observe and strategise… We see her in Joshua 2:16 advising the spies on what to do so they are not discovered by their pursuers. I believe this advice stemmed from the fact that she had observed and understood the way things worked in her community. So now, I want you to pause. Is there any aspect of your life you can apply the principle of observing and strategizing. You see, phenomenal women( and men too) make their society better. They are proble. To be a problem solver and an agent of positive change in your society, you should learn to observe and plan. It shouldn\’t end with just thinking and planning, let\’s learn to take action. Let\’s learn to take initiative.   The concern she had for her family From our introduction, we understand that Rahab’s family also lived in Jericho. We’re not too sure why she wasn’t living with them in the same house. Some have attributed it to the fact that she may have been estranged from her family because of her profession. Nevertheless, we see a woman who wasn’t selfish and secured safety for her family. So firstly, I just want to encourage you to create strong bonds of unity and love in your family. Let your family know you care and that God gave you to them for a reason. It honestly feels good to know that you have a family supporting you. And also as the old adage goes, \”Charity begins at home.\” Showing love to people around you isn’t fruitful if you can’t show love to the wonderful family God has given you (and family is not always blood). In a similar vein, if you want to be a difference in society, start being a difference in your family, right where you are.   Faith For someone who had been exposed to idol worship right from birth, she demonstrated a very admirable degree of faith. And her consciousness of the power and might of God is amazing.(Joshua 2:10,11) It is no surprise then that we find her name in the Hall of faith. I believe her faith in God also prompted her to make such a great request of her family being spared(Josh 2:12,13). And we see from Joshua 6 that this faith was rewarded. So to conclude, I want to say I get excited when I see Rahab, who was once a prostitute appear in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. It reminds me that I have a God who can take the foolishness of this world to confound the wise. It also encourages me not to look down on myself or allow myself to be held mentally captive by my past. God is good. I can be a great shining star no matter how darkened my life may has once been. God richly bless you for reading. beautifully written by Arbie Marfoa Marfo  ( team member of the Phenomenal Woman) 

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Sena Wogormebu

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Sena Wogormebu Ladies and well gentlemen today\’s interview features a lovely young woman with the things of God at heart, a talented and skilled footballer or soccer player amongst many others. She\’s a person with a set focus in life and goals to achieve. Sit back, pick notes, enjoy! Nelia: Hi Sena, kindly tell us about yourself. Sena: I am a young person, 20 years of age. At this point in life I am working on two things: the inside of my heart and the inside of my pockets. I like the idea of grinding in your 20s, building in your 30s and chilling in your 40s. If I should describe myself using one word, the word is vivacious (full of life and good spirits… happy and lively in a way that is attractive). I like fashion, football and photography. I’m a big fan of goals, I love black excellence, and most importantly I love God. I’m currently in my second year at university studying Marketing with Digital Communications. Nelia: How was growing up like for you? Sena: Growing up for me has been great. I’m from a family of six: three sisters, myself, my mum and dad. My sisters and I are close in age and we share a very strong bond. For this reason, I am big on family and girl power! Nelia: Girl Power she says. On that note what motivates you in life? Sena:What motivates me in life is my vision of the future. I have put plans together which makes me look forward to what is to come and knowing that God has even bigger plans for me makes it ten times more exciting. Nelia: Why soccer? Which position do you play? Sena: Growing up, I was a bit of a tomboy. All my friends were boys and hanging out with them included getting involved in most of the things they were into, which included soccer. After a while I got really deep into it, even when my friends stopped pursuing it, I continued. I play as a striker. [/av_textblock] [av_video src=\’http://vimeo.com/120007335\’ format=\’16-9\’ width=\’16\’ height=\’9\’] [av_textblock size=\’\’ font_color=\’\’ color=\’\’ admin_preview_bg=\’\’] Nelia: What are some lessons or experiences that you’ve had with playing soccer, especially as a young woman. Any stereotypes or the sort? Sena: Growing up, soccer wasn’t popular amongst girls so I always found myself playing soccer with boys. I was always the only girl amongst a group of about 20+ boys. A lot of the time boys used to look at me thinking ‘she’s just a girl, she doesn’t know how to play football’ until I touched the ball and shocked them. I gained a lot of respect through this and so many times I have been told by boys ‘I’ve never known a girl that is able to play soccer the way that you do’ or ‘I didn’t know that girls could play soccer’. Nelia: Hahaha they didn\’t know girls could play soccer huh? This journey wouldn\’t have been easy. What sacrifices have you had to make to be at the point you are right now in soccer? Sena: A big sacrifice I made for soccer was leaving my family behind in the U.K. as I went to play ball in the States. I sacrificed a comfortable life in pursuit of my dreams. It was at this stage of my life where I discovered that outside of your comfort zone is where you grow and really experience life for what it is. I explored so many new things and went through so many challenges. Through this I learned so much. I definitely feel that the sacrifice was worth it.  Nelia: \”Outside of your comfort zone is where you grow and really experience life for what it is\”.  What are your short term and long term goals with regards to career, sports, and life in general. Sena:My career goals are as follows: – Graduate – Work in digital marketing – Work in the film industry – Start my own businesses – Charity work, missionary work, ministry  As far as life goals I want to travel, have a husband and kids, be financially stable, be genuinely happy and fulfil destiny. Nelia: How would you define success? Sena: Success for me means accomplishing a plan, goal, dream or even an idea that you bring to fruition. It can be as simple learning how to tie your own shoelace or as big as becoming a billionaire. Nelia: As simple as tieing your shoelace or as big as becoming a billionaire. In other words, success is defined by yourself. Moving forward, do you think young Christian women are finding it difficult to identify and align themselves with the purpose of God for us? Sena: If there is any difficulty in young Christian women being able to align themselves with God’s purpose for their lives, I believe it is due to distraction from either the opposite sex or society or fear or lack of understanding. Distraction from the opposite sex by maybe getting into relationships, being head over heels for their partner or focusing so much on their appearance in order to draw that kind of attention. Girls can get wild when it comes to boys and love. I say distraction from society in the sense that society makes you focus on things of the world such as beauty and money, whereas Christianity is more concerned with the things above – hence the scripture seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteous. I mentioned fear because when it comes to God, often times you can be left not knowing how and when things will happen, which is why faith is a key ingredient. And finally lack of understanding. The bible says ‘my people perish due to lack of understanding’ – understanding scripture, understanding the plan of God for your life and understanding that heaven and hell is real.  Nelia: Preach on sister! Indeed for lack of knowledge of who we are we perish in this world

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The What Factor

Leave a Comment / Self-love. /

The What Factor of Self-Love Inasmuch as we all strive to be the coloured versions of ourselves (go read my series on be your selfie if you haven’t to understand what it means to be your coloured self), there are certain things about us we cannot change. We have to embrace them wholeheartedly. I read about a black young lady in America. A white guy told her you’re pretty even though you are black. Her response, epic! She said, “I am not pretty even though I am black, I am pretty because I am black! ACCEPTANCE! This is the introduction to my next post on the series, what do I have to love? You can’t choose and pick what to love and what not to love. Self-love is not a buffet at the state Banquet or a five star hotel. It is a one meal menu, yet with so many ingredients. What I’m getting at is, Self-love is not a pick and choose game where you can go like yeah I love that, nope I don’t love that. We discussed the ingredients used in the preparation of a cake right? A lot of things go in there, depending on the type of cake of course. But at the end of the day, with the magical touch of the baker, we have a great cake for our celebrations. You are the baker of your own cake my dear. We all watch these shows for cooking and baking. There’s always the recipe but when and if you try yours, it will never taste the same as mine. I love chilli, you may not. Maybe I love my cake moist and fluffy with less sugar. Perhaps you love the texture of your cake to be like bread with lots of sugar in it. But at the end of it all, I have my cake, and I loooooooveeee it. So must you be willing to accept your cake and loooooooveeee it as well. That is self love. Acceptance. This is why it was very important to answer the how question and who question before the what question. The How and Who factors are like the processes of the baking process. The mixing, kneading, whipping, measuring and all that comes with it. The What question however, is really the point at which you take the cake from the oven. Then you’d have to accept the cake as it is or you’d have to go through the whole process again! But that is life right? Sometimes everything you’d spend a fortune of time and money in just falls off like a tower without a foundation. It is as if the very support of your life has been swooped from underneath you. But you’d have to get the oven set again, mix up the ingredients again and again till you get what you desire, then accepting it will come with so much ease and fulfilment. The How factor, most importantly demands that you LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL; YOUR HEART, MIND, SOUL AND STRENGTH. I call this the dimension of love. And getting this step right is very important because all the others rest on the strength of this. The Who Factor talks about loving you. Ordinarily, it would have been love the ‘raw’ or ‘real’ you. But I’d say work on the ‘raw’ and ‘real’ you. You owe it to yourself. Invest in your self and in your personal development. You are far above rubies. That is your work. Rubies are red jewels or red diamonds. They’re worked on as well after they’re mined. They go through a process of refinement. That is the process you have to go through as well, to attain your worth of not being a Ruby, but being far above the worth of the Ruby. I hope you catch this revelation. After this process of refinement which includes going through fire, being hammered, shaped and all, then you can confidently answer the What factor, by saying I accept who and what I have become. I love the cake I have been able to bake. Love, Nelia.phenomenalwoman

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