God’s Indescribable Gift
Posted: December 15, 2014 Filed under: Church/Spirituality | Tags: Celebration, Christmas, Gift Leave a comment2 Cor. 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” While this gift is beyond description, we are told that many did not receive him. At his birth, “there was no room in the Inn.” This Christmas reminds us again of God’s free offer of forgiveness and abundant life through his Son, Jesus Christ.
I encourage you and your family to enjoy all the magical moments of this blessed season. Celebrate with neighbors, friends, workmates and loved ones, but remember the reason for the season. Give and receive gifts, but remember that the greatest gift to be received is Jesus Christ.
I may have said some of the following, but it is worth repeating. Accepting God’s Indescribable gift frees you from the bondage of sin and ushers you into a position of right standing with God. You are granted the privileged to become sons and daughters of God. Your name is written in “the Lamb’s book of life.” And heaven becomes your eternal home.
Do not be content with just receiving God’s Indescribable gift, but purpose in your heart to reveal his love and will to others around you. Become an instrument of his amazing and incredible love. Allow his kindness and joy to flow through you to people of every walk of life.
Use this festive season to take God’s Indescribable gift public. The greatest birthday gift you can present to the Lord, is to introduce him to others. Make it your goal to demonstrate his love and kindness wherever you go. Because of our acceptance of this gift, you and I can call God, Abba, and Father. Thus we’ve become brothers and sisters in Christ.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Kennedy
The Encourager
The Power of Relationships
Posted: December 11, 2014 Filed under: Church/Spirituality | Tags: Community, Relationships Leave a commentWhat if you could connect people, ignite fresh thinking and create shared ownership for results?
According to anthropologist and cultural experts, our beloved country, Liberia, is among the nations in the global south (not the third world as economists have historically dubbed Africa) that is believed to be highly communal. That is, we are not like countries that are primarily individualistic. While there are arguments supporting overt values of either communalism or individualism, the reality is that prevalent in Liberian culture is the importance of community.
One thing that is central to an authentic community is relationships. In an effort to avoid prolonging the conversation here, I am sure we have heard that in most communities in Liberia, “everybody knows everybody”. This, of course, is being simplistic! However, the truth remains that we believe in developing relationships that extend beyond the biological core family.
While there are many unfortunate instances that have demonstrated our using relationships for personal gains, my intent in this forum is to encourage us to utilize relationship for positive outcomes in community and nation building. We can use relationships (old and new) as learning labs for effective changes in our country. I am confident that we all can utilize our relationships to be positive change-makers.
In future posts, I will attempt to unravel the power of relationships to creating professional networks that would be beneficial to making Mama Liberia accomplish not only greatness, but also to be a significant nation to contend with in our global community.
Yours truly,
Dennis Walker, PhD
Once upon a Time, Time
Posted: December 8, 2014 Filed under: Peace & Reconcilation | Tags: Liberia, Narrative, Story 1 CommentSo, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day I saw the amazing Africa Umoja at the Rialto Center in Atlanta. What a show! Africa Umoja brings together exquisite music, scintillating dance, and theatrical drums to tell South Africa’s story. Beginning with the period when African tribes lived undisturbed on the land, it covers the arrival and eventual dominance of White settlers, the long struggle for freedom and equality, and concludes with current efforts to build a Rainbow Nation. It’s a beautiful story that unites a beautiful people. It’s a story around which millions of people coalesce. It is story told with unbridled excitement and pride.
It really got me thinking about Liberia – the Liberian story. What is it? When did it begin? Really? And don’t tell me 1822 or 1847. But why not there? It’s a fair question. What’s the narrative that units us as Liberians? What’s the thread that holds us together? I have struggled in the past two weeks to arrive at an acceptable response. And it frightens me that a uniquely Liberian narrative evades my imagination! Because without a unique Liberian story – without a distinct Liberian story that respectfully includes all of us – how do we know what to build?
Maybe the absence of a clearly articulated “Liberian narrative” explains the deficiencies of patriotism that proliferates the Liberian psyche. The absence of a well-told Liberian story means that we, as a people, do not profit from the tremendous benefits of a national narrative.
A Liberian story would incite us to nation building, because our story would remind us of where we come from, who has gone before us, and what we have done in the past. We need a sense of our collective past so we can plan and execute our collective future.
In addition to inciting us for nation building, our story would inspire us to take pride in our homeland. I am yet to meet a group of people who scorn their homeland as much as Liberians abhor Liberia. How else can we explain theft in the public sector if not deep hatred of the Motherland? How else should we explain our entrenched inability to build or do anything worth celebrating? Really, when was the last time we did something big as a nation? Nothing inspires us about Liberian because we do not have a Liberian story to tell.
Finally, a Liberian story will help us aspire to a future unfathomable to all observers. Our story will help us believe in a future where democracy, free market, liberty, rule of law, justice, equality, and true Liberian Brotherhood – and Sisterhood – are the culture of our lives.
So, let’s begin to write and tell a unique Liberian story, one in which every facet of society has a voice and equal stake. Man, I want to hear a Liberian story. One upon a time, time…
Liberian Entrepreneur Creates Heavenly Aroma
Posted: December 3, 2014 Filed under: Entrepreneurship | Tags: Candles, Entrepreneurship, Small Business Leave a commentCecret Candles are all natural soy lotion candles, homemade with all natural ingredients such as ecosoy wax, unrefined shea butter and the finest premium based fragrance oils. Cecret Candles acts as natural moisturizing agent that makes your skin feel like silk. The cotton wick has been primed with a vegetable-based wax for a natural burn. I guarantee from the first time you light a Cecret Candle, you will enjoy the fragrance all the way down to the bottom. Cecret Candles are made in the USA with tender love and care.
When it came to naming the Cecret Candles, I took slangs, expressions and friendly gestures used in various African continents and the Caribbean. I like to think of it as a way of learning new fun fact words to apply to your everyday life. Take for instance “DASH” is a common slang that’s used in West African English from Sierra Leone to Cameroon. The meaning is a bonus or discount given by vendors to wholesale customers.
Cecret Candles focuses more on connecting cultures and invoking memories one candle at a time. I’m so glad to introduce to you my company and all of my product developments such as candles and handmade African inspired pillow cases, scarfs, make-up bags and totes.
If you need more information on Cecret Candles or where to purchase please visit the following links
https://www.facebook.com/cecretcandles
http://cecretcandlesandaccessories.wordpress.com
I appreciate your patronage,
Sesima Kama
ra
Founder/Cecret Candles
