So you say you can't take it?

So you say you can't take it, the price is too high. The feelings are gone it seems the rivers run dry. You never imagined it could turn out so rough. You give and give and give and still it's never enough. Your emotions have vanished that once held a thrill, you wonder if love could be alive in you still. But that ring on your finger was put there to stay, you'll never forget the words you promised that day. Jesus didn't die for you because it was fun, He hung there for love because it had to be done, and inspite of the anguish his word was fulfilled, cause love is not a feeling it's an act of your will. - Don Francisco

This is a quote about marriage, but it has merits for preaching holiness, because even though it's not easy, it is a requirement that if you love God, you have to demonstrate that loe by denying yourself and living a holy life.

Random Inspiration

Sometimes one must be seen as foolish in the eyes of the world to be seen as righteous in the eyes of God.

Boxing Week Sales

Happy New Year everyone, even though that's old news now. Been trying to settle into school, so I haven't had much time for blogging.

I know you all have noticed this, but it's still annoys me so I just had to vent. I hate how boxing day and boxing week sales deceive people. I mean, can't the stores at least reduce the price a tad bit? They put up all these signs saying "Save up to 70% this boxing week". You go and check the price tags and you think, "cool this thing has been reduced from $120.00 to $50.00. You think you're getting a good sale right? Wrong.

I went to one store to get myself a pair of shoes for school, my old ones were no longer protecting me from the cold. I went with my Dad to do the shopping. I picked up one pair of boots thinking I was getting a really good deal, it was like $30.00 reduced from something like $80.00 (which I think is ridiculous for something that goes on your feet to be tracked through the mud anyway).

My Dad took one look at the pricetag and was like "their lying, they haven't reduced anything." And you know our African parents, he wasn't afraid to say it to their faces, so it didn't matter to him that the clerk was watching us. I was like, you're sure, what was the original price? Not because I doubted him but I wanted to be sure.

Cont'd

Foolish Naija (Nigerian) boy tarnishes his country's reputation--What was he thinking????

I couldn't believe it when I heard about it on boxing day. A Nigerian boy had tried to blow up a plane in the US on Christmas day. Somehow the news didn't hit me because my Dad mentioned it, I hadn't seen it for myself. It wasn't until around Monday afternoon that I saw how badly this simpleton had disgraced himself, and quite sadly, the media had decided the whole of Nigeria should share the blame. Now I am not Nigerian, and not one to fight other people's battles for them, but this is a bit unfair. I mean the guy's father went and warned them. What more could they possibly ask for?

Okay, so here's when the news hit me. First, they showed his face straight off, a mug shot that defines the term, if I've ever seen one. To my recollection, they normally let the dust settle a little before showing the face of the accused, but I suppose past suicidal terrorists have managed to achieve their goals, i.e. even if they don't kill anyone else, they normally manage to blow themselves up enough that they can't get their ugly mugs on CNN.

When I saw his face I realized just how young he was. Now I've never been able to excuse stupidity because of youth alone, but I was really sad that he had just wasted his life, and for what? I mean seriously, a human being, young, able, well endowed with life's better advantages; I mean his father is supposed to be rich right? The only thing he seemed to lack was common sense and the capacity to use his brain, but even that can be learnt.

So someone tells you to go blow yourself up for his cause, a cause your fellow countrymen have had the good sense to denounce, and you consent? What in the world was going on in his head?
I wonder if, after his failed attempt, he has finally come back to his senses. Afterall, those who sent you don't even care about you. The al Qaeda operatives apparently only referred to him as "the Nigerian". It seems to me they didn't care about this individual.

Next comes the greatest indignity. There, on CNN, displayed for the viewing pleasure of millions of news watchers, were a bloodstained pair of green underpants. Even if he had the will to die, I'm sure if they had told him beforehand how CNN would display his already unattractive underpants, he would have thought better of it. I'm certain that even the most hardened criminals would resent having their poor taste in undergarments exposed to all the world.

So this is the new terror tactic? How pathetic, a bomb in your underpants. It would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. It indicates to me that this boy fully expected to die, because he must have realized that even if the bomb was only half successful, he would come off the plane a little less of a man (if you can call him that) than he boarded. It makes me wonder what manner of indoctrination he exposed himself to, because as I said, I'm not a Nigerian but I am an African and we Africans love life. I don't know any Africans who love a cause so much they would blow themselves up for it.

That's enough about that mindless drone, anyone who would spill innocent blood is not worth talking about. What is worth talking about is the media coverage of this incident. I am critical of the western media for the way they keep emphasizing the guy's Nigerian background. You may be wondering why I should care, right? I mean it's not my problem. That may be true, yes, I have no right to be offended for someone else, but even before this incident, I have noticed how western media will do all it can to sully the image of less industrialized nations.

Even though in this case, the mistake was clearly on the side of the American system, yet it seems everytime this story has been reported, Nigeria is mentioned even more times than the accused is named. No one has outright said that Nigeria as a nation is somehow at fault, but it is implied with very little subtlety. I'm not saying they should in any way conceal the facts, but put the emphasis where it belongs.

Precious little is said about how this boy was recruited in the west and not in his native country. We hear, but not for long, about how his father went to all the proper authorities and did all he could to stop his son from killing innocent people. What we haven't been given is a good explanation as to why the father's pleas were not taken seriously. At a time like this, instead of the media highlighting the corruption and the poverty of Nigeria, it would be wise of them to identify the points at which they failed to protect their own citizens. It seems to me that Nigeria did its part by alerting the US security forces of a possible threat of terror.

My biggest problem is that the US, while pointing fingers at everyone else but themselves, will fail to correct the systemic failures that could have ended in disaster, had God not intervened. I just pray that God will help us and protect us from all such weak minded individuals who can be convinced to blow themselves up just to prove a point. May God also protect us from the negligence and smugness of those who, while living comfortably in their own little bubble, think that nothing bad can ever happen on their watch.

Finally, if you're an African kid, Ghanaian, Nigerian, Somalian, whatever, and some self centered person says blow yourself up and I'll take care of your family, just conjure up the image of your family cursing you even in death. If that does not deter you, then consider Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who is lying down somewhere probably with a gaping hole in his nether regions, hated by all who he held dear, and disowned uniformly by his countrymen. Consider that and tell any such devil to get him behind you.

Postscript: I'm sorry for my long absence. Hope this time I can actually stick to writing down my feelings.

Africa (apart from the flaws which we all already know about, I mean good grief)

I'm new to the blogging world; I'm sure that's quite obvious because I've only got one previous post. Now my main reason for starting this blog is to hopefully to shine a light in the minds of many of the people whose ignorance is causing them to only see war, famine, disease, and the like when they hear anything about Africa.

I am tired of not being able to have a satisfying conversation about Africa with my peers and fellow citizens here in North America without it turning to war in Sudan or Rwandan genocide or Ebola or AIDS. I am also tired of feeling and being made to feel like it is my responsibility as an African to focus solely on all morbid matters that concern Africa. Yes, it is good to acknowledge and be proactive about all of these, and I fully support those who are thus engaged (more grease to your elbow).

However, let's put it simply: even in childrearing, it is not good to only speak about the ills of a difficult child. You must praise the child when they are doing well, so to encourage them to keep on doing well. I really do not blame anyone who has grown up out of Africa if their only experience with Africa is gleaned from what the western media feeds them. Without going on too much about it, but when a high level educated newscaster on one of the top news programs in the world calls Africa a country, you really can't expect them to give or even know the full picture themselves.

I admire President Obama for doing just what I think was necessary to put Africa, and specifically Ghana, in a different light than it has previously been seen in. Now I'm not such an optimist that I think this means that the western media will flood into Ghana looking for all the good things that are there, but it is a ray of hope in a dark void that has been in existence for a very long time.

Now enough of my rant, I want to focus on the positive, if you wish to comment about the good things you know of about Africa or have personally experienced, you are more than welcome. I will concentrate on Ghana, because I love Ghana and it is my native country and the only place I've personally experienced in Africa. I would love to see contributions from people concerning other African nations, and by the way, anyone can comment, whether or not you are African or or even if you've never been to Africa but can appreciate something good about a country there.

Finally, you can write about big things or small things, because it is the small things in life that really make us happy. The big things come, make a huge impact and go and we don't see them for awhile, but the small things are always happening around us. Let me start by saying I love my country Ghana because back home, the red clay in my backyard used to make the most beautiful little sculptures. I find that Canadian dirt (yes, I am Canadian) does not form anything but a mess in my hands--at least where I live.

I loved dancing in the rain in Ghana; I'd have to be crazy to try that here. The rain not only felt good in Ghana, but was warm, here the rain feels good, but if you stay in it too long, your teeth will be chattering with cold, and you may end up in bed with a bad cough.

I love how Ghanians love all things football; by that I mean world (minus North America) football. I know it's called European Football, but let's face it, the Europeans can't hog that sport, and North Americans are the only ones who haven't fully realized the joys of football, so one might as well call it World Football.

Michael Jackson: may his soul rest in peace.

I am sad today; I was going to write about my beloved country Ghana, then I put the TV on CNN. From the beginning of their reporting of M.J.'s hospitalization to the end, I was there watching. Michael Jackson was truly a legend, in music and in dance. I think particularly in dance, he did what most people never imagined the human body was capable of. I mean, if they had thought about it, they may have said "yes, it is physically possible to do this with your body", but who really had that level of imagination before Michael showed us it could be done?

I am very sorry to hear about his death, although I can not say I have ever seen him as one who can do no wrong as some do. I only wish he had had a better life experience starting from his childhood; his end may have been different and his legacy may not have been so marred. And yet even with his past transgressions, he stilled captured our hearts in his death; I truly am deeply saddened.

When all is said and done, I can only consider one thing. Michael achieved so much in his short life, more than several people could have done if they had each been given ten lives. Outside the UCLA hospital after the announcement of his death, countless people played his songs through loudspeakers and also sang them in his memory. But as Michael has now passed on, not one of his accolades can follow him. Where he goes, not the sound of a single one of those songs they were singing can be heard.

All I can think about right now is: did Michael know where he was going? As in did he have a relationship with the Lord of the universe; with Jesus Christ. That is the only prayer I can pray for him as I mourn his death, that, if even only in his final moments, he would have submitted his life to Christ. Naturally, every human being sometimes thinks about their own life, whether or not they will live it well. At this time as we all grieve the loss of a trailblazer, I encourage you to think about your soul, and where you will be headed when you receive that great and final call.

Once again, another thought comes to mind: Michael Jackson was a unique individual such as the world had never seen before. I truly believe God raised him up in a special way and gave him not one but many special gifts to touch people. I wonder, now that he is gone, who will be the person in this generation that will touch so many countless people around the world. Will there ever be such a person again? Make no mistake, I make no comparisons between him and the one and only Jesus Christ, who is unrivalled in history for those He's touched; but among ordinary men, will there be anyone who can touch the world again to the extent that Michael did?