Make Your Life Count Forever

Tomorrow Gary and I celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. It's been a blessing to spend these past years with this wonderful man. He is godly, kind, good natured, and loves to laugh.  And there is never a dull moment! Not every woman gets to go to exotic places like Ghana for her anniversary. We have spent a lot of anniversaries traveling, but this is the first time we've attended a Pastors' Conference to celebrate our special day. Today we shared the joy of about 32 students graduating from the Bible Training Center.  They have been away from their homes and families for almost a year and their excitement was contagious. Then we jumped in the car and drove for almost 6 hours to get to the Volta region for the Conference that begins tomorrow and a church service Sunday. The photo shown here was taken at El Cholo, a famous Mexican restaurant in LA.  Gary used to go there in his days at USC.  We have stopped there several times.  It's worth arranging...

I made this my prayer on our recent trip to the Cape Coast area and two evening meetings for a Women's Conference. Those who travel the roads and highways of Ghana either have a genuine faith in Christ or a persistent denial of their own potential mortality. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE Like a kid in the candy store I'm on an iPhoto Sugar High:) I have no housework or shopping to do.   We don't go to Movies, or watch TV, so I have discovered all the effects buttons in iPhoto . I made these images from the photos of the little sayings on cars, trucks, and Roadside businesses.   Our first stop was Accra and there we had a Saturday Seminar for former students who are now pastoring churches or ministering as evangelists.  I met about 7 people who minister at the Liberian Refugee Camp.  It doesn't officially exist any longer, but of course that's just on paper.  The people are still there because they have nothing to return to in Liberia. ...

I loved the juxtaposition of these two shops.   Ancient Ways and the Cell Phone store dwelling side by side in perfect harmony when their roots are centuries apart. We just completed our first Women's Conference here in Ghana in the city of Koforidua. For all the differences in our lives and cultures, there are more things we women share in common than you might think. Our theme was 'A Wise Woman' from Proverbs 14:1. Every wise woman builds her house:  but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.   Our topics included: Cultivating a rich spiritual life through God's word and prayer God's model for a wife in her marriage Window of Opportunity:  Raising godly children Getting ahead of God:  A Cautionary Tale from the life of Sarah Lessons from 2 Women named Mary And of course, The Proverbs 31 Woman We committed ourselves afresh to putting  GOD FIRST in our lives. During our question and answer time it became appar...

JESUS NEVER FAILS   This morning we left very early to drive to Kumasi to meet with Pastors and former graduates of the Training Center.  Kumasi has a population of about 2 million and I think they were all on the road today.   The very heart of the city is a vibrant daily market called Kejetia. It is the largest open air market in West Africa.  At one time this city was the capital of the rich and powerful Ashanti kingdom.   Almost half of the residents are Muslims .  Some of the pastors ar e having real success with evangelism and told us the converts are drawn to the grace, love, and hope found in Jes us Christ. Slogan's abound on cars and the small roadside shacks that function as mini-marts and tiny Fast Food counters. Two of today's favorites were so blocked by traffic I couldn't get a photo, but the first was a mini-mart called "Every Day is a Gift from God" and the second was " Go...

Yesterday I noticed a young man working to clear the ground near this ant hill.  This evening I saw him again and asked if he was planning on growing vegetables.  When he said yes I asked why he choose to do it so near the ant hill.  He said he thinks this might be very fertile ground because of the ant hill. The whole episode reminded me of the exhortation in Hosea 10:12 to "break up your fallow ground".  I wondered just how much real estate in my life is currently fallow. I'm usually inept at accurate self evaluation, but I know the Lord can see the landscape of my life with clarity and He is an expert in cultivation and fruitfulness. So here in Pepease, where I am removed from my 'normal' life, I'm taking the opportunity to ask God for a frank evaluation and  recommendation.   As I write this I can hear the students singing what has become my favorite new worship song.  The chorus is "do something new in my life, something new in ...