IS SHE MARRIED? HAS SHE GOT KIDS?

I was on a bus last week at Adum and headed towards campus when we stopped in traffic. So one of the passengers saw an old friend of hers from afar and shouted her name. The friend turned and upon seeing her old friend, they exchanged pleasantries and this other friend started asking the one on the bus, "How is your daughter?" The one on the bus answered, "She is fine." Then the friend asked again, "Is she married now?" The woman answers again, "Yes, she is." Then she asked yet again..."Has she got any kids yet?" To that the woman answered, "No." While such questions aren't foreign to the average young man or woman growing up in Ghana, I think it has often become a needless question for anyone to be asked.

The truth of the matter is, not everyone is meant to marry. Or to put in another way, not everyone WANTS to get married. So our culture of expecting everyone to get married is totally flawed. Our last census figures point to the fact that there are more women than men in Ghana. If we should all be married to one man and one woman, it simply means not everyone will end up being married. To top it all up, why the craze about childbirth after marriage?

So it looks like once you are out of school or are becoming of age, the most natural question you should almost always expect is: When are you getting married? After you "strive" to get married, the next natural follow up is: When are we expecting a grandchild or nephew or niece? I think it is too much of pressure on the average youth. Let us leave our youth to make their own marital and childbirth decisions at a time that best suits them. After all, these engagements are economically and mentally involving. No one just wakes up to go get a wife or husband and starts giving birth. If we don't want to increase the number of street children, let us allow young people to make their own decisions in that regard.

Not everyone is able to stand such pressures.

By Jonathan Adzokpe

5 Prayers Every Mother Needs To Utter

All prayers are powerful, but I feel a mother’s sincere prayer is one of the most powerful tools we have has a parent.

Praying has been a staple in my life as a parent. Prayer guides me, aides me when times are tough, comforts me, and provides insights.

It was my prayers that often made the difference in how things turned out with my children. I believe they might have turned out for the worse if I had not uttered them.

As I reflect back on the years of raising my children, these 5 prayers stand out as transformative and life changing for me and my children.

1. “Please God, help me see any talents or gifts my children have that they’re meant to develop, that I may not otherwise see.”

I started uttering this prayer when my oldest daughter was only a toddler. I feel the prayer was given to me to make sure certain events played out in her life. Otherwise, I may have missed them when they presented themselves!

It is interesting that the answer to this prayer was received more than a decade after it’s first utterance.

My daughter was 15 at the time and was in the habit of singing around the house. I started to notice she had a natural gift for singing and a love for music, both of which I have no talent or gifts in.

I felt prompted to encourage her to take voice lessons, which she was excited about. As we took initiative to find a voice teacher, the spirit took over and everything fell in to place for her to pursue this gift and talent. This completely changed the course of her life. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance, develop her talent as a stage and vocal performer, and become trained as an early childhood music educator.

She has shared her insights in several blog posts here on The Child Whisperer blog. And she continues to share her beautiful voice with many.

2. “Please God, if this is correct for my child to experience, please support everything coming together to allow it and to keep them safe. If it’s not correct for them, please cause an interference so it cannot come to pass.”

When my oldest son was 15, he came home for school one day and announced that he was going to ride his bike across the country with a best friend and the friend’s adult brother.

We found this interesting, because he didn’t own a road bike and he hadn’t really ridden a bike on a regular basis in the past.

Somehow though, I knew before I had even uttered this prayer, that I was to allow this to unfold and see what happened. So instead of laughing at the idea or questioning it’s validity, my husband and I got behind him.

As things developed and plans were made, I felt prompted to utter this prayer. I knew I had nothing to worry about if God deemed it correct for my son.

Everything came together, and in late May of his 15th year, my son and his best friend and brother rode their bikes across the country, arriving in Yorktown, VA the week of the 4th of July.

While my son was riding his bike across the country, the most common question other mothers asked me was, “aren’t you nervous or scared for his safety?” But because of my prayer, I knew my son was in God’s hands and all would be well.

This son is now 30 years old and a first time father of twin daughters, who is just beginning to utter the prayers of a parent.

3. “Please God, help me notice if there’s anything my child emotionally needs from me, and help me to take initiative to give it to them.”

I started uttering this prayer when my children were young and there was a lot going on.

Four children ages six and under is a lot of commotion a lot of the days of parenting, as many of you know very well.

I knew meeting their emotional needs was essential to their healthy development into adulthood.

In my book The Child Whisperer, I cover the 5 stages of emotional development every child goes through and how to meet these needs true to their dominant Energy Type. I didn’t have The Child Whisperer in my early days of parenting, but somehow I knew that my children would show me the ways they needed emotional support, and I’d need to decode it.

This prayer aided me in being successful in that role as their mother.

4. “Thank you God, for helping me know what is important today as a parent and to follow through on it, Thank you for helping me know what’s not important and to let it go!”

This is a prayer you could say every day. We all have more to do than there is time for!

As a Child Whisperer, you already know that what matters most are your children. We need to be there for each child in a way that supports their true nature. With the help of The Child Whisperer parenting model, you can achieve this as you continue to develop your talents of intuitive parenting.

Uttering this prayer will help you continue to see the big picture and keep your children as the priority.

5. “Thank you God, for giving me patience when I have none.”

We all run out of patience.

We all come to the end of our sensitive parenting rope! We will all lose it at times and then regret how we treated our children.

I uttered this prayer, knowing perfectly well that there would be times I would need it. I know I was aided and given that extra measure of love and patience, when I honestly had none left! In fact, I still say this prayer, even though my children are grown.

There are more prayers I uttered that enabled me to be a good mother. I know God and his angels were there for me and continue to be there for me in my role as a mom. read here.

Children seem to provide us a lot of opportunities to get on our knees to seek out God’s guidance and support. For that they make us better people!

Prayer for new week

As you start this week, Almighty God who created you will surely provide for all your needs in a timely manner. Your life will not lose value, God will remember your requests today and grant you speedy answers. He will remember all your good works and reward you greatly.

Though some people have seen you to be cheap and downtrodden, but as from today they will count themselves privileged to have known you. God is about to put an end to all pains you have secretly suffered. You will experience overflowing abundance in materials, finance and anointing. Fear not! 

Happy new week from us ASB's World.

Beware: These 10 Foods are Made in China

As incredibly as it may sound, an article published some time ago spoke of the production of fake rice in China, made out of plastic! What is even more shocking about it all is the fact that no one does a thing to prevent it!

The ingestion of even small amounts of plastic seriously harms the digestive system, as well as hormones. The BPA (chemical) in plastic mimic’s estrogen and the levels of the hormone tremendously increase in the body when BPA is ingested.

This is only one finding that should assure you to be reserved about the food produced in China, however. Regarding the Chinese innovative procedures that they use to make cheap technology products, toys and other consumer products, we believe it is dangerous enough even to think about their application to food.

China is undoubtedly one of the most polluted regions in the entire world and produces more pesticides than any other country in the world, meaning your food is most likely to be laced with pesticides. First of all, it is a fact that the air in China is toxic. Research found that the air in Beijing, China, is so polluted that breathing it actually does as much damage to the lungs as smoking 40 cigarettes a day.

70% of its rivers are polluted as well, and the sheer volume production of products there leaves a lot of toxic chemicals and by-products as waste. These leak into the environment and pollute it to a seriously high extent.

These are only part of the numerous indications that foods produced in China are perhaps one of the worst choices you can make, for they may seriously harm your health.

This is a list of 10 foods produced in China that should not be part of your menu:

1. Plastic Rice

Indeed, plastic rice is being produced and it is believed that its effects could be cancerous. It is said to be actually made from potatoes and a fake synthetic resin, but it doesn’t cook like the regular rice, as it stays hard after boiling.

2. Tilapia Fish

Tilapia is commonly fish-farmed in China, for 80% of the Tilapia in America comes from China. It is one of the worst, most toxic and unhealthy fish that you can come across. Farming leaves fish in extremely bad conditions, for they are placed in a small pool of waste water, and they actually eat anything there during their development process. Being aware of this, the sea-food farmers won’t let their own children eat the seafood that they farm.

3. Processed Mushrooms

34% of processed mushrooms are from China, and US inspectors have found tainted mushrooms from China. Furthermore, there are even some manufacturers in China that go so far as to label these processed mushrooms organic to increase their profits.

4. Chicken

The reality is that China produces more pesticides than any other country in the world and is polluted by not only that, but its mass production and industry as well.

Also, regarding the fact that China is a country where avian influenza and food-borne illness are common, numerous food safety experts are concerned with the quality of this chicken. Yet, the sale of chicken from China in America has been approved by the US Department of Agriculture in 2013.

5. Green Peas

Once more, avoid food from China. The production of fake green peas in China was discovered in 2005, but it may still last today.  These fake peas were created with snow peas, soy beans, along with green dye and sodium metabisulfite (a chemical that is used as bleach and as a preservative).

The use of this dye is banned as it can cause cancer, as well as inhibit the body’s natural ability to absorb calcium. Just like fake rice, these green peas also didn’t soften when boiled and the water turned an unnatural green color.

6. Cod Fish

Statistics say that currently just over 50% of American Cod comes from China. Cod is absolutely unhealthy as it lives in its own waste.

7. Mud (Sold As Black Pepper)

China is the largest pesticide producing country in the world and they haven’t even begun to address pesticide or chemical residue on foods. The Chinese don’t have a lot of due diligence in their food and safety regulatory systems, and consequently, the origin and contents of food can often be left vague.

Believe it or not, a vendor in China collected mud and sold it as black pepper, and also took flour and sold it as white pepper. Therefore, in order to protect yourself and your family and avoid any unwanted side-effects, always do your best to know your source, buy local and true organic.

8. Industrial Salt

Industrial salt should also be avoided, for it has been found to be unfit for human consumption by scientific research. It can lead to mental and physical issues, hypothyroid problems, as well as reproductive system disorders.

9. Chinese Garlic

Apart from tainted mushrooms, US inspectors have also found tainted garlic from China. This garlic is sprayed in enormous amounts and it leaves a bad aftertaste, that of a chemical concoction. To speak in numbers, 31% of Garlic sold in the US is from China.

10. Chinese Apple Juice

Regarding the extremely high amounts of pesticide produced in China, it is best to avoid apple juice completely, as approximately 50% of the apple juice sold in the United States comes from there!

Yet, it is hard to tell if a food item originates from China or not. Hence, it is best, if possible, to grow your own organic food or to find a reliable local farmer or a store, where you can buy naturally grown foods.

Happy New Month of March and Prayer for New Week

Happy new month of March "The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in; From this time forth and forever." Psalms 121:5-8. May good Lord perfect all that yours. Have funnnnnnn.



Happy new week and month from us all ASB's World.

Triple Threat the Enemy Uses Against You

Sports teams, political rivals, and military strategists all have one thing in common, they are aware of what their opponent's strengths and weaknesses are. This is why teams study the game tapes, why politicians listen to the comments of their rivals and why military units spy out the land they are seeking to take.

If you don't know what your enemy is doing, you will not be as victorious as could be if you did know what he was doing. Many people go into war without all the information, which is a critical part of the preparation and that is why they lose more battles than they win. Now this is true on a nation, international and individual level, but today we are going to speak to individuals, for I see a tactic of the enemy in Scripture that has plagued Israel and the church since the beginning of our existence as people.

The trifold plan of the enemy against believers is unforgiveness, forgetfulness and fear/unbelief. These are the three strategies the enemy uses against people in their relationship with God and others.

"Whomever you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if I forgave someone anything, for your sakes I forgave it in Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us. For we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:10-11).

"They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them" (Ps. 78:11).

"They turned away from faith and walked away in fear; they failed to trust in his power to help them when He was near" (Ps. 78:22).

Historically with Israel, realistically with the church and identifiably with us as individuals we can see this trifold plan of the enemy in operation in people's lives and that is why we are not as powerful as we could be, as loving as we are called to be and as courageous as we are supposed to be. The enemy begins by either getting us or someone we love in unforgiveness in order to destroy our relationships, for the enemy knows, sometimes better than us, that we are better together than we are apart. Living with unforgiveness on any level is destructive to relationships, the enemy knows this, so it is one of his tactics.

Secondly, the enemy uses forgetfulness in order to get us to question the character of God. If we forget our history with God and His faithfulness toward us, we will begin to question what He is doing with us when we can't see, hear or understand.

The third tactic the enemy uses is fear or unbelief, which is a lack of trust. Trust is the most vulnerable thing we are called to do and many people refuse to do it for when they have tried to trust, they were hurt, so they have resolved not to trust people or God. The enemy is such a strategist, he knows if he can rob you of your ability to trust, he can keep you in unbelief and render you powerless.

The enemy knows, sometimes better than we do, that we are powerful. Christ in us is the hope of glory! If God arises in us, the enemy will be scattered, so the enemy uses a trifold plan to keep us from being powerful. But God, who is slow to anger and rich in mercy, has not given up, He is relentless in His pursuit of us, He knows we are His ambassadors on earth, He knows He paid a price for us that no other person on earth would be willing to pay and He knows how to win our hearts again.

So, we can have hope, even though we may have fallen prey to one or all three of these strategies of the enemy, the Lord is our deliverer and He is still releasing the prisoners and setting the captives free. You were created to be powerful and now that you know the trifold plan of the enemy, you can defeat him by forgiving everyone, remembering your history with God, and walking in faith, trusting God with all your heart. This is how we overcome!

Lisa Great

Be aware that you are talking to a God that listens

A major uniqueness of the Christian Faith is that we serve a LIVING GOD. Our God is alive, as in for real, alive. Remember that text that has been turned to a song by some;



Psalm 135:15-17 “The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear, Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.…

But Yahweh, the Living God can hear, can see, can talk…

I woke up to do my devotion this morning and like I advised in my post “7 Quick Tips To Having A Meaningful Morning Devotion” I sat up with my leg touching the ground and started singing “Oh, How I Love You” by Jesus Culture. I haven’t gone two minutes into singing and it dawned on me that my singing was just mindless chant.

I thought of it that the God I’m singing to actually listens, but I was singing like no one was listening. I was just ranting in the name of worshiping. I wasn’t singing TO the God that hears, I was more or less singing to myself and to my room, mindlessly.

It was at that point the reality of how many of my and our so called quiet time(s)/ morning devotion(s) is/are to mainly give us self-satisfaction, or clear conscience that we have prayed, worshiped and studied. However, the reality is we haven’t really met or been with God.

How different are your devotion times to those whose religions are  mere rituals or routines- where they do some activities at some stipulated time to simply justify their consciences ?

Don’t let your devotion/ quiet time give you a false impression that you are known by God and you have spent time with Him. Actually, spend time with Him. While singing and praying, retain Him in your consciousness; think about Him, meditate on his awesomeness, beauty, goodness… Be aware that you are talking to a God that listens, that He’s alive, that He’s right there with you in your devotion time.

Ask yourself again, “is your devotion time a mere activity to justify that you are a Christian or an actually of fellowship (oneness and communication) with God”?

May God give us the grace to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Grace and Peace.