Features
He-goats, New Year resolutions (1)
AS a matter of principle, some people celebrate only New Year’s Day and not Christmas. And they would tell you that Christmas is for the kids. You’d wonder whoever told them that piece of nonsense.
At any rate, they won’t celebrate Christmas but wait patiently until 31st Night when they become practically possessed. When a man (or woman) gets possessed on December 31, it is a wonderful experience. He can bark for two hours non-stop when making New Year resolutions. I don’t know where they get the stamina from.
My own experience is that, the more resolutions you make and the more fervently you make them, the less likely you are to observe them. So I have for some ten years now stopped making resolutions and slept very soundly on December 31 night.
On 31st Night, I asked my wife to remain home.
The way she looked at me suggested that I was blaspheming. How could she ever sleep when others were going to be praying for redemption of sins and making their cherished resolutions?
Castration
Well, coming to think of it, women tend to be more religious than men. When a woman is thinking seriously about how to prepare for church, a man would be debating whether he should drink only beer throughout the night or mix it with Opeimu Bitters so that when he meets his girlfriend in bed, he can give a good account of himself.
For goodness sake; every man is potentially a he-goat or palpably a he-goat, unless of course he is castrated. Castration can be in several forms. It could be physical, chemical, emotional or divine.
Physical castration takes place when the human testicles are removed for justifiable or unjustifiable reasons. Justifiable when it is for medical reasons and unjustifiable when a wife wants to tame the husband’s over-active or sometimes explosive libido.
In other words, the husband has literally turned into a he-goat and can be found sniffing the buttocks of other women with unrestrained abandon. So the wife decides that may be he’d be a little bit sober if he stop bleating after other women. He’d also grow fat and oily and learn to stay at home.
Chemical castration is where a rapist or serial sex offender has been convicted and sentenced to be castrated.
Certain emasculating chemicals are injected into him that destroy his male virility. So he sees a woman but no longer desires her.
Emotional castration is somewhat temporary. A man gets moody or disappointed and cannot achieve an erection. It could also be due to school fees palaver. Unless he pays his school fees, he can’t get an erection. May be, we have to pray for the soul of such people.
Divine castration is basically a delivering process. It is based on the idea that all men, no matter their pedigree or breed, are basically sexual animals endowed with the original sin.
So when they agree to come to Christ and have well-repented of their transgressions and confessed them for the remission of sins, it means they, have resolved to divest themselves of the qualities of a he-goat.
Having so resolved to be free of sexual encumbrances, the changed man must all the same undergo divine castration, so that his spirit, soul and mind will be cleansed of lust. Otherwise, he’d be a born again all right, but still hankering after skirt.
Divine castration is however reversible. Whenever you decide to backslide, your castration tends to be null and void. Also, whenever you get married, you are permitted to consummate the marriage. And how do you do that when you cannot get it up?
Testimony
You must be empowered during the honeymoon to prove that you are indeed a husband and not a hopeless pretender. If the groom cannot marshal enough firepower during the honeymoon, then when else?
It must, however, be noted that during a honeymoon, anything can happen. Over-excitement can be counter-productive to an otherwise lively libido and the groom can be found hopelessly wanting. It doesn’t mean he is impotent. It only means he needs time to organise.
Normally, a two-week honeymoon is enough time to put your act in order so that you can deliver in good time. The bride must be understanding and supporting.
It is not unusual, therefore, to find friends of the groom urging the inexperienced husband to rely solely on Alomo Bitters to pave the way to marital bliss and glory. And when the bride meets her mum after the honeymoon, she can give eloquent testimony of her husband’s ability to dance.
“He didn’t let me sleep she’d coo into her mum’s ear. And together they’d laugh aloud.
“I am already pregnant she’d add and triple the joy. I wish all fans of Sikaman Palava’ a triple portion of joy, peace and love. God bless.
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Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
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