Month: September 2019

The Top 10 Greatest Christian Rap Songs of All Time

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts8 Comments

Concert HD

We’ve already done the top 10 songs from NF, Lecrae, KB, and more. Now, there’s only one left: the top 10 best Christian rap songs of all time. If you have any suggestions, be sure to give them in the comment section below!

These songs were chosen on the basis of YouTube views, peak performance, level of trending, and gospel meaning. In a list dominated by 116 Clique members, a few smaller rappers managed to squeak in, including Flame and TobyMac. While not technically a Gospel rapper, NF is still a Christian rapper, and he has been added as such, regardless of how Wikipedia classifies him. 

Continue reading “The Top 10 Greatest Christian Rap Songs of All Time” →

Christ’s Coffee: 4 Ways Coffee Makes You a Better Christian

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts12 Comments
Coffee

Yep, you knew it was coming. Coffee is, after all, one of the Africa Boy pillars. It’s what keeps me (and probably you) sane. So, if you aren’t a coffee fan, dry your eyes and click that back button, because this post isn’t for you.

Coffee does make you a better Christian. Of course, I’m sure an argument could be made for tea, but in all honesty, I think that tea just makes you a better person in general. Coffee, however, is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind (the full list includes bacon, chocolate, and hamburgers), and thus deserves our utmost respect. After all, there are four ways it makes you and me better Christians.

  1. Coffee keeps our tired minds clear. In a day and age that is all work and no play, Coffee is Jack’s drink. After a long, hard day of study, one of the best experiences life can offer is a few minutes alone with a steaming cup of coffee and a Bible. It clears our minds, invigorates our limbs, and gives us a new purpose in life!
  2. Coffee is so unique, it draws our attention to God’s creation. While artificial flavors can be found in any store, coffee is unique because the flavor is hard to mimic. And, not only is it unique, but it’s difficult to process and roast, causing many to wonder how the ancient Arabs discovered this heavenly drink. Certainly, it was an act of God. As you drink your coffee, don’t forget to thank God for that wonderful drink!
  3. Coffee gives us energy! Sure, Coca-Cola or Red Bull can do that too, but they’re jam-packed with sugar and artificial flavors. Coffee is todo natural. Coffee gives us enough energy to make it to the end of the day, allowing us to praise God that we made it through another trashy day. When a day is long or boring, a good cup of coffee (and a burst of energy) is often just the thing needed to bring a smile back on your face.
  4. Coffee is the perfect drink to take to church. While tea can be boring and water just watery, Coffee is always just that: coffee. What better drink to take into God’s building? And, for that matter, what better drink to sip on while you listen to God’s word? Just saying, there’s a reason that 90% of all American churches offer coffee, not tea. Maybe God ordained that, maybe not.

Well, that’s all the coffee for today. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you were salivating and craving a good cup of Joe. If not, you aren’t human (kidding).

Anyway, thanks for reading this humorous post. If you haven’t already, be sure to click on that Follow button, so as to not miss out on any new posts! Thanks again for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

My featured post: The Brown Problem: An (in)Complete Look at the Antonio Brown Drama

My last post: The Beginner’s Guide to WordPress: Day 1

A similar post: Appreciating God’s Creation

The Beginner’s Guide to WordPress: Day 1

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts15 Comments

Untitled Design

 

I have done well over 30 hours of research on WordPress, SEO, Site designing, themes, and more. So, I decided to share what I have learned with the rest of you, hopefully inspiring you to make your blogs better.

Now, I am not the owner of a 100,000 follower blog. Not yet, at least. However, I request that you don’t look at the number of followers on this blog as the measure of my knowledge, but instead read and decide for yourselves.

So, let’s get to it. This is going to be a weekly series, lasting probably for a few months. I will do my absolute best to ensure that everything I write is completely correct.

Day 1: Blog Creation

Continue reading “The Beginner’s Guide to WordPress: Day 1” →

The Brown Problem: An (in)Complete Look at the Antonio Brown Drama

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts, Current Events7 Comments

Antonio Brown 84

Unless you’ve been off the internet for the last year, you’ve heard of the drama centering around Antonio Brown. Brown, possibly the best Wide Receiver in the league, started the year still in a five year, $72.7 million contract. Unfortunately, the deal turned black as relationships between Brown and head coach Tomlin de-escalated. A few insults later, Brown was being offered up for trade in what was probably the most garage-sale like offer in history. He was eventually traded to the Oakland Raiders, who offered him a contract worth $30 million.

Continue reading “The Brown Problem: An (in)Complete Look at the Antonio Brown Drama” →

Three Awards

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Awards, Blog Posts21 Comments

Well, today is catch-up day. I guess I’ve put it off long enough. I have three nominations to take care of: The Sunshine Blogger Award, from Robert (thanks, man!), the Mystery Blogger Award from Lydia (that’s a new one!) and the 30 Questions Award from Jesusluvsall (Thanks, brother!)

First things first: You guys should definitely check out their blogs. Robert’s blog, Watching Daily at Wisdom’s Gates, is very cool and is chock-full of Godly wisdom and council. You can find it here. Lydia’s blog, InHisServiceAndLovingIt, is very, very cool with a lot of interesting discussions and thoughts. It can be found here. Finally, Jesusluvsall’s blog. His blog is absolutely awesome, because not only does he speak wisdom into a lot of difficult subjects, but he’s also gluten-free. It’s amazing! You can find it here.

Ok, now on to the individual rules and questions.

The Sunshine Blogger Award 2.0

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Again, this one’s from Robert. Thanks, man! The rules are as follows.

1. Use the sunshine blogger award logo
2. Give thanks to the blogger that nominated you
3. Answer the 11 questions given to you
4. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 questions

The first two are done, so now we do the last two.

1. What’s your favorite Bible verse at the moment? Romans 1:16. Unashamed until the day I die.

2. Who’s family for you? My two parents, Keith (41) and Laura (xx), as well as my five siblings: Noah (14), Isaiah (11), Elliana (10), Malakai (6), and Selah (4). I also have 22 or so cousins and all four of my grandparents.

3. Who are your closest friends? Kevin Britton (15, Missionary Kid with me but currently in Colorado), Abby Swanson (15, lives in Chicago), Qwesera Daniel (18, basketball teammate here in New Hope), Sammy Katabazi (16, basketball teammate), Essence, Loring, and Patience Ray (17, 16, and 14? I don’t know their exact ages but they’re currently serving in North Uganda), Josiah Kegg (16, Missionary Kid in Indonesia), and all of my TS members. You know who you are 🙂

4. What’s your favorite YouTube channel? Dude Perfect all the way!

5. If you could have a second home anywhere in the world, where would it be? Bloomingdale, Illinois. That’s where my grandparents live.

6. What was the last song you listened to? Start Over by Flame (feat. NF).

7. What’s your favorite form of social media (apart from WordPress!) and why? I mean, if email counts, then that would be my favorite. I sadly don’t do anything else.

8. What’s your local church like? Beautiful! Very excitable, enthusiastic, and supportive.

9. Do you have a garden? If so, describe it 🙂 No, but my dad does. He grows all kinds of stuff, from herbs to tomatoes to corn.

10. What’s the community you live in like? Awesome. Everybody knows everybody VERY well, so 75% of the people here have embarrassing stories of me at age 3. They are all very loving and supportive, and when two people announce that they are getting married, everything goes crazy!

11. What would you like to study more? God’s Word, the Bible!

Here are my 11 questions

1: If you could be any height, how tall would you be?

2: What are your plans for the future?

3: What’s your favorite book?

4: What’s your favorite food?

5: Do you have a favorite animal?

6: What country, if any, would you visit?

7: What’s your favorite place to relax?

8: How do you relax?

9: Favorite meme?

10: Coffee or tea?

11: Tell me why coffee is the greatest drink ever invented (sorry this is manipulative)

My nominees:

Epic Empire

Fun Box

God’s Own

An Attic Full of Paper

It’s Who I Am

Blue Skies and Green Pastures

Quiet Moments with God

The Rulebook

Kenechi Duatron

Sincerely Hero

Reagan

 

Alright, thanks Robert! Once again, you can find his blog here.

The Mystery Blogger Award

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The Rules:

  • Put the award logo/image on your blog/post.
  • List the rules.
  • Thank the person that nominated you and provide a link to their blog and mention the creator of the award, Okoto, and provide a link.
  • Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
  • Nominate 10-20 people and notify your nominees.
  • Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice.

Done with the first 3, now the rest.

  • I collect Pokemon cards. Feel free to judge.
  • I eat obnoxious amounts of food
  • I like shawarma

Now here are Lydia’s questions.

  1. What’s your top 2 favorite toppings on a hotdog? Coleslaw and chili. It’s the West Virginian blood in me (thanks, dad).
  2. What’s your favorite pasta meal? Cold Chicken Pasta!
  3. What’s the most unique food combination you’ve ever eaten? Pizza and pineapple. Disgusting.
  4. What’s a chore that you enjoy doing? In all honesty, I don’t think there is.
  5. What’s an animal that you wished could talk? My dog. She would tell me when there was food in the fridge because dogs’ senses of smell are fantastic.

Here are my questions

1: What meal would you like to have for your birthday?

2: What’s your favorite genre of music?

3: Do you listen to music while you work?

4: Favorite book?

5: Describe your best friend.

My nominees:

No Longer Lukewarm

Joshua Swanson

Newblogger20

Hannah (by the way, your new picture is absolutely boss)

Ara

HeavensReef

Keziah

GracefullyInTheMoment

Ani

Faith on the Farm

Wow that was a lot of people.

Alright, thanks again Lydia! ‘Preciate it!

30 Questions Tag

This one’s from Jesusluvsall. Thanks, brother! These are his questions.

1. What are your nicknames? What do you prefer to be called?

I am nicknamed Mack after Khalil Mack (no kidding), and E-Bill because my second name is William. I prefer to be called Elisha or Lisha.

2. How often do you doodle? What do your doodles look like?

I honestly don’t.

3. What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep? Toss and Turn? Try to get up and do something productive?

I pray!

4. Do people consider you as talkative or quiet?

Talkative all the way. I’m a complete extravert.

5. What makes you cry?

Very little, but usually contemplating how fallen this world is.

6. What is your biggest pet peeve?

When people say, “Hey! Come here!”. Like, why don’t you come to me?

7. How many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror?

Once, in the mornings when I get ready for the day.

8. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

What if I ate watermelon seeds, they would grow in my stomach (thanks, Uncle Jones).

9. What is one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?

DRINKING COFFEE. Sorry, mama.

10. Who performs the most random acts of kindness out of everyone you know?

My mom, by far. I can’t even tell you how much she does for me.

11. How often do you read the newspaper? Which sections?

I don’t, but I occasionally check CNN.

12. Which animal scares you the most?

Sharks, if that counts.

13. Are you more likely to avoid conflict or engage it head-on?

Engage.

14. What was the most recent compliment you’ve received?

Uh, a friend told me that I’ve gotten good at basketball (an absolute lie, I’m only decent).

15. What question are you tired of hearing?

How much coffee did you drink today?

16. What is the strangest thing you have eaten?

Haggis! If you don’t know what it is, Google it.

17. Do you have a whole lot of acquaintances or just a few very close friends?

Both!

18. Do you have a catchphrase?

Not really.

19. What’s your all-time favorite town or city? Why?

Chicago. It’s so beautiful, and driving there is really fun.

20. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

I’m going to slightly copy you, my nominator, and say Aragorn.

21. When was the last time you lied?

I honestly don’t remember, but I’m sure it was recent.

22. What’s something that amazes you?

God’s Creation

23. Would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease?

The inventor of a drug.

24. What is your favorite amateur activity?

Blogging.

25. What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?

Man, I keep copying my nominee. I thought that I need more sleep.

26. What is your favorite song (at least at the moment)?

At the moment, it’s NF- Returns

27. List someone you know, and describe them in 5 words.

My dad: loving, compassionate, gracious, strong, and funny.

28. You can select one person from history and have them truthfully answer one question. Who would you select and what would the question be?

The Apostle Peter: What was Jesus like?

29. Which celebrity or artist do you resemble the most?

Um, I don’t know. Oh, apparently, Niall Horan. That’s according to this website.

30. What do you want me to know?

That Jesus is real.

And for that nomination, anybody that’s reading this and wants to do it is nominated!

Once again, thanks to Robert, Lydia, and Jesusluvsall for the nominations. Have a great day, guys!

 

 

Power or God?

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts, Stories3 Comments

Soccer-Cover-PixTeller.png

“I left the joy of soccer for the far greater joy of the Kingdom.” –Keith McFarland, 2019

If you were on my blog four weeks ago, you saw this quote featured on the Quote of the Week section. You probably raised an eyebrow at the fact that I was quoting my dad, but otherwise, you left it alone. This quote isn’t as profound as some of the others that I’ve posted, so it probably didn’t draw as much attention as the others.

Continue reading “Power or God?” →

Appreciating God’s Creation

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts12 Comments

MusanaCamps01SS6A2163

As I write this, I am sitting on a mountain, a thousand feet up, overlooking Lake Victoria. I am in Musana Camps, a camp/ministry founded by my ministry, New Hope Uganda. Located, as previously stated, over Lake Victoria, Musana Camps reaches out to a lot of the fishing villages, while also providing a place for many to relax. Needless to say, this place is stunning.

Continue reading “Appreciating God’s Creation” →

Do Child Soldiers Still Exist?

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts2 Comments

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Ishmael Beah. Speaker. Child’s Rights Protector. Child Soldier. 

In the hit book, A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah writes about his experiences as a child soldier. Before I read the book, I anticipated a difficult but excellent read, and I was not disappointed.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to speak to a former child soldier. This man, a friend of my dad, served under Joseph Kony for over two years until he managed to escape. While my conversations with him were short, he echoed the same thing that Ishmael says: child soldiers still exist today.

As I read A Long Way Gone, I was reminded of the human nature to sin. While the average man sins in average ways (see the Ten Commandments), occasionally we get glimpses of true sin. After all, serial killers and rapists are still found today. But, despite these small pieces of true sin, we are often blinded to the fact that this sin exists in everybody, including children. We are all capable of murder, but only a few give in to that terrible sin.

In his book, Ishmael tells the story of his recruitment into the Sierra Leone Army as a twelve-year-old. Unlike my friend, he was recruited for a just cause: holding back the Sierra Leone rebels. However, justice within the action does not make it any less wrong. Ishmael, along with his friends, was trained for one purpose: to kill the rebels. He is given an AK-47, taught how to use it, then sent to the front lines. While there, he witnessed the deaths of four out of his five friends and became responsible for the deaths of several dozen rebels, including children.

Eventually, he was relieved of duty and sent to Freetown, where he spent several months in a rehabilitation center. Eventually, his heart softened and he became a totally different man. Over the course of the following years, he went from a murderous, blood-loving child to a soft, caring man who supported his uncle (his parents and siblings died during the war). Eventually, he moved to the USA and has become an influential speaker on the topic of childcare, even speaking before the United Nations on the topic of child soldiers.

Obviously, I have not told even 10% of the full story. There is so much blood and hatred, it’s difficult to imagine someone going from such utter sin to living a normal life. While I’m sorry to say that Ishmael doesn’t make a radical conversion to Christ, he still manages to find peace and leave behind the wrongs of his past.

Child soldiers exist, and many have committed horrific acts. But, that doesn’t give us the right to shun them or pretend they don’t exist. We must pray for the former and current soldiers, for they are still people. God can work in anyone, including them.

Below, I have enclosed a link to Ishmael’s book, if you are interested. It was a sobering reminder of the world around me, something none of us should forget. Thanks for reading! Your support means so much to me. If you haven’t already, be sure to click that Follow button, so as to not miss out on any new posts. Thanks, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

 

Link to my featured post

Picture credit: GALLO IMAGES/REUTERS/JACKY NAEGELEN

 

The Consequences of Hunger

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts, Experiences, Stories10 Comments

Jackfruit

One day, about eight months ago, I found myself hungry with no snacks to eat. So, being a classic Missionary Kid, I went in search of food. But, to my dismay, the mango and banana trees were devoid of any fruit. So, hoping to find something worth eating, I went and found my friend, Mugabe Robert. He knew a lot of the trees in the area, so I asked him if there was any ripe fruit nearby. He took me to a local jackfruit tree (see the above picture) and told me there was a ripe one at the top. But, there was a catch. He said that he was afraid of the wasps in the tree and refused to climb until they were removed. I, thinking I was fearless, volunteered to go and pick the fruit.

Now, as you’ve seen in the picture above, jackfruits are giant fruits that can withstand a twenty-foot fall. The only way to pick them is to saw off their stem and let them drop to the ground. So, armed with a machete, I climbed the tree. Then, seeing the wasp nest, I faltered.

The nest was HUGE. Easily larger than my closed fist, it teamed with wasps.

“Ah, Mugabe?” I shouted down. “If I suddenly jump down, prepare to run.”

Locating the jackfruit proved easy enough. Getting it down, however, looked impossible. It was located not five feet from the giant nest, so if I wanted the fruit, I would need to get within stinging range of the wasps.

Alright, I’ll just be quick and quiet. I thought to myself. Big mistake. Future Elisha was screaming “NO YOU IDIOT!”

Sadly, past Elisha couldn’t hear future Elisha. Past Elisha swung his machete, cutting through a quarter of the stem in a single hit. The movement was all the excuse the wasps needed, and within the span of two seconds, I had multiple stings on my back, neck, shoulders, and arms.

To my credit, I remained calm. I (thankfully) didn’t scream like a girl. Instead, I executed what was probably the fastest descent from a tree in history. I climbed halfway down, then hurled myself the rest of the way, while still being stung even in mid-air. 

I landed, tucked, rolled, and ran. I received one more sting, just to show me who was boss before I escaped. Mugabe was long gone, so I was now alone, facing a yard full of angry wasps, and still hungry. Oh, and I had fourteen stings spread across my upper body.

It wasn’t until much later that Mugabe and I worked up the courage to climb the tree and spray the wasps. Obviously, that should have been our first plan, but when you’re hungry, you aren’t thinking of the consequences to your actions. Namely, consequences of stings. But, let me tell you: that jackfruit was amazing. You know the saying “stolen fruit is the sweetest”? Well, in this case, it would be “fruit paid for with pain tastes sweetest”.

I hope you enjoyed this fun little story. If you did, make sure to smack that Follow button to avoid missing out on new posts. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

 

Here is the link to my last post.

My featured post can be found here.

A similar post can be found here.

 

Current Events: Hurricane Dorian’s Effect “Total Devastation”

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts, Current Events4 Comments

Hurricane-PixTeller

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last week, you’ve been hearing numerous reports of Hurricane Dorian. News of death counts and destruction are sweeping the nation (Oh, sorry. Bad pun.), with stories of massive swaths of devastation. Currently, the death count stands at thirty but is expected to nearly triple over the course of the next few days. According to BBC News, The International Red Cross predicted that over 40% of the homes in the Bahamas and Abacos were seriously damaged or demolished. Not only have many government buildings been destroyed, but the only International Airport in the area was also destroyed, potentially grounding flights for the next few months.

Continue reading “Current Events: Hurricane Dorian’s Effect “Total Devastation”” →

How did Christianity Become the Most Popular Religion Ever?

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts12 Comments

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A lot of people question Christianity’s validity. They say, “Faith is useless! Trust in science and fact is the only truths in this life!” They question why Christianity is so popular in the first place. But I tell you this: Christianity has been the greatest religion because it’s the only one that is true. 

Continue reading “How did Christianity Become the Most Popular Religion Ever?” →

But First, Coffee

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts, Experiences, Stories5 Comments

Coffee

Most mornings, I wake up to a vibration on my wrist. My FitBit (a knockoff, mind you) has an alarm function that, instead of beeping, vibrates to wake you up. Sleeping in a room with two brothers, I find it helpful to have an alarm that will only wake me up. So, I often find myself waking up before anyone else, save for my parents.

Continue reading “But First, Coffee” →

My First MailChimp Update is Out!

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts3 Comments

Yep! Just as the title says, today saw the first-ever Africa Boy Premium MailChimp update! If you were a Premium User, then you just received a special email for your eyes only! Guys, if you haven’t joined the Premium users, then you should definitely do so! You can find the link here. If you want to see the update, but don’t want to join, you can find that link here. To the people that have joined the Premium Users, thank you so much for your support in joining! I truly appreciate it. I am already more than halfway to 200 followers on Africa Boy, and 15% of the way to my MailChimp goal of 100 followers! Truly, I feel blessed. Thank you so much for your support, and I wish you a wonderful day!

September 1st!

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts8 Comments

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Hey hey hey! For those of you that didn’t read the title, today is September the First! Once again, we find ourselves at the beginning of another month. As September looms ahead, and August is tossed into the trash, what will we focus our minds on?

Continue reading “September 1st!” →