Author: Emefa Gadze

I am an Executive Life Coach, Speaker and Retreats Director and Founder of Single Parents Support Network. I help Compassionate leaders and Single Parents who are multipliers to experience Holistic Success. I am a visionary, cyclebreaker and change agent who challenges the status quo and influences decision makers to make shifts that are beneficial to both societies/communities/organisations and families. I live in Accra, Ghana with my amazing son, Korkoe and I love writing, nature, music, dancing, laughter, quiet spaces and deep conversations. I have a deep desire to travel the world to see all the beautiful places and meet wonderful people. You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn @CoachEmefaGadze . Kindly follow Single Parents Support Network at https://web.facebook.com/SPSN100 to get informed and involved our work with Single Parent Families

Pray For All Men

One responsibility we have as Christians is to pray and interceed on behalf of  families and the nations of the world.  The bible actually gives as a list to  guide us on the category of people who need our constant prayers.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NKJV) says ‘Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.’
Why pray for all men? Mostly than not, men tend to be the head of households and families in many cultures, one wrong decision by them and everyone suffers. They need to be constantly covered in prayer for wisdom and guidance to make those critical decisions that make or break families. Prayer ideas for men include;
 1. Grace and favor as they go about their duties trying to provide for the   family.
2. Grace and wisdon to lead the family right and love them as Christ loved the church.
3. Wisdom and discernment for them to have the right kind of relationships outside the home that is wholesome and positive.
 You can ask the Holy Spirit to guide in in how to cover your father, husband, son, nephew, uncle and friend in prayer; the list is endless.
The verse in 1Timothy 2 continues by saying ‘And for those in authority’. It means all the armed forces i.e. police, navy, army, customs etc, our bosses in the office, the Judiciary, Presidents, Parliamentarians, Senators, Cabinet members, Pastors, Church workers, Imams, Islamic Clerics etc so that they will make the right decisions in the line of duty so we can ‘lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence’.  These people and many others in this category make major decisions that affect our lives daily so we cannot afford not to interceed for them.
 
Our people have a saying that ‘When you have your fingers in someone’s mouth you have to be cautious not to hit that person on the head’  Why is that?  Because this will result in the person automatically biting you as a result of that hard knock on the head; so in effect you end up injuring your self.    
This Ghanaian proverb beautifully summarises what I am trying to say; which is failure to pray for the category of people as stated in 1Timothy will eventually rob us from leading ‘peaceable’ lives ‘in all godliness and reverence.’
May God grant us ‘peaceable’ lives as obey him in interceeding for those in authority and all decision makers.
Emefa

 

God Is Your Source

 

How often do we blame people for not providing our needs? I mean relational, material, social, financial needs etc.

As many times as we read the bible and see all the promises in there for us, as many times as we actually experience God’s divine intervention in our lives, as human as were are, we are still prone to putting our trust in people to fulfill our needs.

I have found that there is nothing as liberating as coming to the revelation knowledge of God as your Source. When you see God as your Source, it changes your whole attitude and your perception of life. You no longer look to man (human beings) to fulfill your needs and neither do you get upset when those you feel are obligated in a way fail to fulfill their obligations or promises. You work out of your heart whether the employer is appreciative or not, you love your family and do your part whether they reciprocate or not, infact your actions are no longer reactive, but proactive. Your actions or inactions are not determined by what someone does or does not do.

Prov. 21:1 says ‘The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord and he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases” NIV.   This means it is only God who can touch the heart of any man (human being) to act favourably towards you. This means, the one to look up to with absolute trust is God not Greg or Kojo or that Director who was supposed to have given you that contract.

Jeremaiah. 17:5-6 (NIV)

5 This is what the LORD says:

   “Cursed is the one who trusts in man,

   who draws strength from mere flesh

   and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;

   they will not see prosperity when it comes.

They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,

   in a salt land where no one lives.

It is not surprising we go through such excruciating and unnecessary pain whenever someone especially the other parent disappoints us by not keeping to promises made to us or even to the children.

Jeremaiah. 17:7&8 (NIV)

7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,

   whose confidence is in him.

8 They will be like a tree planted by the water

   that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

   its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

   and never fails to bear fruit.”

Psalm 125:1 says ‘Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever’

The snare often is, whenever God touches a person’s heart to act favorably towards us, we shift our focus from God our Source to the vessel of the blessing. This is a form of idolatory and God who is a jealous God start fighting us because He refuses to share his glory with anyone! We are to be very appreciative of the vessels of blessings in our lives but wary of turning them into gods.

It is my heart desire that we will continually choose to let go of all the people and organizations who in our opinion have let us down one way or the other and walk in the liberty of focusing on God as our only Source.

All we need to do is make that very important decision and ask God to grant us the grace to continually walk in this revelation.

It works, it really works. The peace is inexplicable and the joy is complete.

Have a very blessed Weekend

Emefa

 

The Definition of a Miracle

Thinking about a miracle reminds me of videos I watched showcasing this incredible little boy, Ethan Bortnick play the piano and it was amazing the kind of complicated pieces he was doing so effortlessly and he can read music upside down. Yes you read right, upside down! He started playing at age 3, all he needs to do is listen to the music just once, oh yes he memorises it in a minute or two and then plays it. By six years he could play more than 200 pieces of music from memory! He’s been interviewed many times and the puzzle in the eyes of interviewers trying to wrap their heads around what they are experiencing with this child just tells you that they cannot comprehend how humanly possible it is to do what he was doing.
 
Miracles are like that, they are out of the human realm, only the supernatural can induce a miracle. What am I saying, in this journey called life, like many of you, I have been faced time and time again with situations that are just completely out of control which will take only a miracle for what I am working towards to be realised. And there were times where I am pleasantly surprised because I truly experience a miracle as things turn around at the nick of time.
 
And this is to encourage anyone who is in the rut and feel like all their efforts are hitting a brick wall. Once you are sure you have done your best and held your part of the bargain, then you are sure a candidate for a miracle. You see, you dont get a miracle until the stage is set for it. This means that things have to look like all hope is lost and nothing can be done about the situation, then and only then do you qualify for a miracle :-)).
 
God shares His glory with no one so as much us it might be crazy for you right now, if you really, really have done your best and things are not happening the way you expect, then you just have become a God case. And trust me He will do only what He can.
 
Now sit back and enjoy Ethan Bortnick’s videos from his earlier days.
 
May the Lord remember us when we find ourselves at the end of road looking up to Him for a miracle..
 
Have a blessed weekend.
 
Emefa

Greying Gracefully

Ever since I started spotting a few gray hairs in my hair, I have realised how much our society reacts to things as very insignificant as grey hairs!
 
I feel completely incredulous at people’s reaction when I read the surprise in their eyes when I let them know how much I love them :)) seriously I really love my grey hairs and don’t intend to dye them.
 
Our  impressions and things we take in as children really has a great impact on us. One of the very first things I remember about my grandmother was her grey hair. For as long as I could remember as a child, she had really beautiful, natural and healthy long white hair. I used to play with it a lot especially when I had to plait it for her. Those are my favorite memories of her. I remember vividly how all pure grey the hair was; not reddish grey and I absolutely loved it! I guess I made my promise then that if I ever start greying, I would not dye it black so that I could have the same kind of hair in the end; pure white not reddish white.
 
To my complete suprise, the subtle pressure to dye is enormous….because of the kind of person I am, I might try to dye it a different colour not a crazily loud one though…I see myself doing a bit of a wine tint or a some highlights just to jazz up things a bit…..but to constant dye the hair black at a new growth……naaa not for me…not for now…maybe never…duno…at this point all I know is that I am loving my grey hair no matter the feedback I am getting…..:-))
 
I have realised what a gift it is to love your body at every stage in life. I believe we as women have the power to resist the pressure to conform to media images. Lets aim for a healthy, well-balanced, fulfilled life instead of working ourselves into a frenzy trying to fit into an image God never intended for us.
 
This is not to discredit those who have chosen the other path…my utmost respect to you since this is a personal choice.
 
I am out!
 
Enjoy a very blessed and fruitfull week!
Emefa