Anita grew up admiring her mother. Her mom was pretty, smart, industrious and most importantly served God. She never missed weekdays or Sunday service days. And she made sure Anita and her 3 siblings attended all services as well.

As a young girl, Anita hoped to be exactly like her mom when she has her own home. Not until she watched her parents’ marriage crumble for simple misunderstandings she thought her mom could have contained. Why couldn’t her mother forgive her dad? Why was it her mom that moved out of the home? What happened with all the Bible she carried and taught them to live by? Didn’t she remember anything about forgiveness at all?

Anger, bitterness and resentment grew in Anita. As far as she was concerned, there was no point carrying on with this Christianity talk. If a devoted Christian like her mom couldn’t forgive, it was pointless continuing to profess being a Follower of Christ.

Anita wasn’t going to fool herself and other people like her mother did. She decided she was done with everything Church, so she tossed her Bible aside.

The Lord directed Anita to one of Talk with Grace Obomanu’s Counsellors. Talking and counselling with Anita made her see why she cannot put her Christianity and love for God in ‘parking’ simply because her mother slipped. With a few sessions of talking with the TWGO Team, Anita once more appreciated the importance of a personal relationship with God.

Today, Anita is glad that she had someone to talk to, she’s fast rebuilding her relationship with God. And more importantly, she’s excited that things are going to be different this time because she’s going to know God for herself.

Praise God!

First published on ‘Grace Obomanu Blog’ 12/12/2018.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
Luke 2:8‭-‬11 NLT

Jesus enjoyed Favor with God and Man. He had unreserved access to the Father and the men that needed to favor Him and move Him towards His destiny were in His corner. When you have Jesus, you already have Favor with God, you can approach God anytime. You can ask and receive anything in the name of Jesus. You are loved with an everlasting love.

When a young man is ready to marry, he wants everything to be right, especially the relationship between his mom and his bride-to-be. Most young men are apprehensive if they sense any tension between the 2 important women in their lives. That’s exactly how Joe felt.

As an only son, his case seemed more sensitive. His mother had kept him by her side most of his childhood and teenage years. All Joe really wants now is that his bride-to-be, Lisa, can manage the strong bond between him and his mom, but he didn’t know if she could. And it’s kind of unfair to pressure her into it.

Joe needed guidance. What would be the best strategy to bring these 2 women together? God led Joe to TWGO where he got an answer of peace.

When mothers worry about their son getting married it is because they’re afraid of losing their son’s love, attention and commitment. Mothers tend to share strong bonds with their sons, more so if they have only one son. Such fear, is most times taken away if the bride-to-be makes added effort to accommodate and accept the mother-in-law to be, as she would her own mom. She would need to lavish her with love, gifts and attention, without necessarily putting too much pressure on herself. These actions are important because they assure the older woman that her son won’t be lost, rather she can gain another love …from her daughter-in-law.

Joe encouraged Lisa to go the extra mile to accommodate his mom a bit. Thankfully, this strategy worked for them. A few months later, Joe and Lisa were successfully married. Joe’s testimonies and joy have been awesome. His mom and his fiancee, now wife, have become best friends to the point that they sometimes forget Joe is around the house as they indulge in their ‘womanly gists’ His mom also gave his wife a special pet name.

Praise God!

Sometimes mothers refuse to accept that their sons would become closely bonded to another woman. So they consciously or subconsciously struggle with letting go. At other times, a mother may be genuinely concerned about the kind of woman her son is trying to bond with. Whatever the case, it’s helpful when both mother-inlaw to be and wife-to be are aware of the possible impact a decision to tie the knots can have on the emotional and psychological wellbeing of a mom, especially when her son is an only child or an only son. Where there’s a sincere desire for peace and harmony, this awareness will help those involved to make little adjustments to accommodate one another.

First published on ‘Grace Obomanu Blog’ on 11/12/2018.

Lisa is in her early 50″s and a single mom. She lives in Ghana with her only daughter and child Becky. Becky is almost done with high school, she hopes to become a lawyer someday.

Lisa is looking forward to seeing Becky’s dream of becoming a lawyer fulfilled. But in recent times she’s had some concerns. She’s uncomfortable with the kind of association her teenage daughter has been keeping of late. These new group of friends seem to occupy most of Becky’s time. When they’re not in school, they’re out partying or visiting with another group of friends. Lisa is very troubled. These associations could ruin her daughter’s future, but the young lady doesn’t seem to see it that way. The more Lisa tried to caution Becky the farther she seemed to be driving her away and more towards her friends. Lisa needed to talk with someone, and she needs to do that fast too. She came across ‘Talk with Grace Obomanu‘ (TWGO), an online Christian counseling group, and she decided to drop a message asking for help.

At TWGO, first we needed to get Becky’s opinion on her mom’s concerns. So we put a call across to her, and it was a different story altogether. Becky feels her mother is overbearing, wouldn’t let her socialize with her peers, wouldn’t let her visit them or them her. Becky said her mom shouts all the time and seldom listens to what she has to say. Becky says she makes deliberate efforts to stay away from her mom because of her behavior. She said she wishes her mom could be more understanding and friendly.

Apparently, daughter and child were seeing things from their different perspectives. Lisa doesn’t want to lose her only child to teenage deliquency and Becky doesn’t want to remain a baby forever.

This observation was communicated to both of them. Becky was thankful that TWGO intervened. She promised to be more understanding of her mom and to relate more with her to allay her fears. And Lisa accepted her mistakes promising to engage her daughter more rather than control her. Their relationship would heal and become better with time especially as they both also learn to fellowship more with God.

Praise God!

First published on Grace Obomanu Blog 10/12/2018.

As Erica listened to Hope narrate a horrifying experience of how a neighbour’s dog attacked and wounded an innocent child who was playing around their home, it dawned on her what great deliverance she’d experienced few weeks ago.

Dogs are not Erica’s favorite pet. She can barely stand them. On this blessed morning as she took a walk, she suddenly came face to face with 3 giant dogs who’d sighted her from a distance and ran towards her. Play or fight, these dogs didn’t look friendly. And she’s stranger to them. What does she do now? Run, shout or stand still? If she tried to run from them, they’d outrun her and possibly harm her. She stood still as they reached her. God must have this under control, she thought.

Erica lived in a quiet serene neighborhood. It was still too early for anyone to be outside by 6.30am. Dogs don’t stroll casually and unattended within the estate, these ones must of sneaked out without their guards knowing. She started talking to the dogs, stroking their bodies. Was this the best reaction? Judging by the dogs incessant growling around her m, probably not. Running away wouldn’t be a right choice either. Erica started shouting for help. But none came. She tried chasing the dogs away but they looked even more angry and dangerous. One, two, three, five minutes and more, the dogs were still around her, just moving around her and making angry sounds, also jumping around her. For some strange reasons, they didn’t bark, maybe that would have drawn some attention. But not today, these angry looking creatures refused to back today.

As Erica thought about how this could end up, fear took hold of her. She suddenly heard herself shout ‘JESUS’ and in that instant the 3 dogs walked away from her.

What a deliverance!!! Not even a scratch on her body.

Praise God!

The Name of Jesus did it!

………….

First published on ‘Grace Obomanu Blog’ 09/12/2018.

“[Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.”
Psalm 91:4 AMPC

Rita has been married for 17 years with 2 teenage children. The last 5 years have been anything but beautiful for her. Her husband James has been abusive (physically and verbally), he stopped her from working, he wouldn’t do any work himself either. How do they eat? Family, friends, any form of goodwill. James claims he has a call from God and spends most of his time chasing people around to sow seed into his life.

Rita had tried many times to leave her marriage but he wouldn’t let her. She didn’t know what to do. Life hasn’t been fair to her neither has God.Then someone directed Rita to our online counselling group, Talk with Grace Obomanu (TWGO). Rita’s story began to change from then.

A look at James’s family history revealed that his father was exactly as he is. He was abusive, lazy and irresponsible. So obviously James’s problem was more complicated than it seemed, it had familial roots. This makes Rita’s case even more difficult, but God has a way.

James needs to make a total mind and behavior change. But how do we reach him considering it’s Rita coming for help?

Rita would have to make a decision at this point about her marriage, to leave or to stay.While leaving may seem the easier and more attractive option, Rita didn’t want her children growing up without their father.Staying meant she needed to do more work, on herself as well as for James.

First she must identify the things she does that upset him at least to forestall further physical abuse. She must identify her weaknesses and strengths as well as James’s. With a personality like James’ it can be trouble flagging his weaknesses, at least not at him. To get him to be more productive, his strengths have to be accentuated and he needs to be regularly reminded of them. That’s exactly what Rita did. She also moved back into the bedroom she once shared with her husband. Additionally, she resumed her wifely duties (not doing it for James but as unto The Lord). She located her Bible wherever she tossed it. She must rebuild her relationship with God and trust Him to fix her marriage.

As nicely as these may sound, these are not easy changes. But are possible when you do them in God, when you understand that agape means loving the unlovable unconditionally.

Rita took up the challenge, made these drastic changes and within one week her testimony was different. Her husband has never been as happy, calm and loving as she sees him now. He’s told her to go search for another job and he’s going to do same. He suddenly seems to have brilliant business ideas too. They even now pray and plan together. Rita is grateful to God and to the TWGO Team for intervening in her situation. Praise God!

…………….

First shared 07.12.2018.

Rains are significant because they bear a newness and freshness to them, especially after a period of drought. In which circumstance rains would indicate or symbolize a washing away of the old and regrowing of something new, something better. 

Winning faith is the faith that believes a thing, speaks it and takes actions towards manifestation of the faith proclamation. This is a way to put an end to the season of drought that has pitched tent around us for so long. We believe by faith that an end has come to the period of drought, we proclaim that the rains are here, and just like Elijah, we bow to the ground, put our face between our knees and pray, wait, remain expectant, check 7 times and over, until we see the cloud…even its smallest bit. Halleluyah!