CHRISTmas..

This is the season to be jolly...... Jingle bells jingle bells...... Silent night. I have to admit that I only sing and listen to these carols during the Christmas season and they usually sound great at this time of the year. So this will be my 23rd Christmas and I have seen the meaning of Christmas change for me over the years. When I was a kid it was that time of the year where we would accompany dad to go cut down a tree (we did not cause global warming) and then decorate it, get new clothes and go compare with what my mates got, have balloons hanging around the house and last but not least watch the movie "home alone". mmmmh the good old days. Then during my teenage age I thought it was lame getting new clothes for Christmas and hanging balloons in the house and Christmas lights so for me it meant it was that time of the year we would go out as a family and have access to an "all you can eat" buffet.
So what does it mean to me now?

It still means its a time I get to spend with family but what I missed to see was the reason why we had to celebrate Christmas. First I have a problem with the word X-mas because it removes Christ out of the picture (so when you are sending me Christmas messages change the X to Christ, I do not do algebra anymore). Picture this, Christ in all His majesty and splendor left His throne so that He would sleep in manger that night. Its like you been told to leave all the luxuries you have and  go live in a garbage dump so that you can give your home to someone else. How many of us would agree?  I know I wouldn't!

Isaiah7:14;Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Luke 1:35:The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God

 John 3:16:“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This was the beginning of God revealing His grace to us, Christ came so that we would be able to start over, so that no matter how much we would mess up we would still be able to come back to God and tell Him "We are sorry and ask for forgiveness" It meant that we would share in His glory, but this did not mean that we were now given a go-ahead to sin. No! it still remained that the wages of sin is death, what this meant was: Once we would ask for forgiveness and repent it meant us changing what we pursue, meaning we would stop pursuing sin and pursue Christ. It does not mean we will not fall but the difference now will be our hearts pursue what is true, right, noble and pure. Your life as a Christian is not based on you reciting a sinners prayer but for you to grab hold of the life that Christ has for you.

 1 Peter 3:18: For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually.

Romans 4:25:He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Romans 5:6:You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

 Romans 13:13:Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.


If we would only understand how great that sacrifice was for God to give His ONLY son to die on the cross for us, for Christ to step down and live as a human being so that He would understand us then we would celebrate Christmas with Christ at the center of it. We would not waste money, food and we would not take these celebrations as an opportunity for us to get drunk and have wild parties,go crazy and have one night stands. (Yes we do get carried away!)
But we would take this time to open up our houses to strangers, to share with the less fortunate, visit the sick, the people in jail, mend broken relationships,spread the gospel, spend time with family and to thank God for giving us His son to die on the cross for us because He took our place on that cross. Now you will never know how much it cost for you to pay for your sins because He simply came and slept in a manger on Christmas day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

End of the year

 

The year is coming to an end we are all excited! We cannot wait for the parties and the gifts...it has been a good year for me and I want to count my blessings.
1.I re-dedicated my life to Christ.
2. I got to visit Mombasa for the first time.
3. I made new friends from California.
4. I am graduating in a few days(yaaaay!)
5. I got a job.
6. We moved houses with my family.
7. I started this blog and so far it has 3176 page reviews in 6 months.

 The list goes on and on.. I have had my fair share of bad days and had to make some tough decisions which meant tougher consequences. I chose to reflect at the end of this year and tell God I am grateful for all that He has done for me, even when I did not understand why I had to do some things and go through certain situations, I thank Him because He reminds me that He has it all in control and that is just part of His grand plan.

I do not know how the year is ending for you, maybe on a low, you thought you would have achieved certain things; maybe you thought you would be married, you thought you would be having a job by now, your loved one would still be around or your business would have picked up. Whatever it is, do not be discouraged because whatever situation you are in now is only a fraction of the bigger picture which is the great and mighty plans God has in store for you. Do not see it as the end instead see it as the beginning of the rest of your life.

As you make resolutions this time, pray about them and place them in God's hands and may the plans align with His word. So what are you thankful for? Even if the bad days have been more than the good days why don't you just take time and write down what you are thankful for and read them to God. Starting with the fact that you have been able to see this far into the year.

From me:

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY 2014!!!

CAT POOP LESSONS (DISSAPOINTMENT)

Ever since I started my small home garden there has been these gang of cats coming in and just "let it all out" in the soil, so a couple of times I would build a fortress by the window and wait to whack one....and to add on top I do not like cats so now I was justified. Every time I would whack one I was so proud of myself and think "now they know this is a no-go zone" but they would bust my bubble the following day when I would have to get a plastic bag and collect the "fortune" they left me. I might add I prayed and asked God to keep them away but they kept coming each time with a bigger "prize" to collect. We would even exchange ideas with my mum on ways of getting rid of them until finally I a got a revelation that we are getting free manure and we might as well enjoy it. Long story short, the garden has blossomed!
Sorry animal rights activists and cat lovers....:-(

Okay enough of the cat chronicles...I am sure we have all wanted something so much and at times we do not get it...it could be a job, a person, whatever it is. We have all been dissapointed, let down, left by people we loved, had our dreams shattered when we thought we had got a breakthrough and the feeling is horrible! You will give up or simply just let go. What if I tell you that those disspointments might be the best things that have ever happened to you? Unbelievable? Indulge me for a minute and hear me out...

The bible tells us that even before you were born God set you apart and He already had your life planned out from the beginning to the end meaning He already knew the doors He would open and the doors He would close to get you to your destiny. Not convincing? Okay...
He says He will never leave us nor forsake us,  meaning that even when it seems that all hope is gone or when you feel like failure  He is there, the presence of that pain is not evidence for God's absence, He is there..ALWAYS.
He says He has great and might plans for you that you know NOTHING about! Meaning your mind cannot even comprehend the things He has in store for you, even that job that may have seemed like the best thing in the world cannot compare with the one He has in store for you, even that person that rejected you or walked away that you might have thought is the best thing since OLX cannot compare to the person God has placed for you.
He loves us so much that He gave up His only son for us, ONLY son for us! His love is unconditional! Its the one thing in your life that cannot be taken away! Meaning you are the apple of His eye that He can give you anything in this world that you desire but if He does not, He is simply saying "I have something better for you"

Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

 Deuteronomy31:6:Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” 

Jeremiah 29:11:For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  

Jeremiah 33:3:‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

Romans 8:35-39:Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So just like that cat poop it does not look good on my garden but it has flourished it and I was busy trying to get rid of it. That situation that you are in that is so painful at the moment, that you just want the pain to go away is meant to build something in you and prepare you for what God has in store for you, it will make you flourish!
Remember that nothing surprises God, He has a plan for you. So, whatever you wanted so much but did not get, trust me when I say it was not part of your destiny it might have  hindered it. If you were to have it you would have gotten  it.
So, to challenge myself and you learn to trust in God through every season of your life, in times of lack and plenty learn to be content and trust Him. He knows what He is doing! 

When I became a woman

Before I became a woman I used to love the thrill of short-lived relationships where if it felt good,looked good and smelt good then it must be IT. Before I became a woman I used to throw tantrums when things did not go my way and made sure people knew I was mad. Before I became a woman I used to think that being a "don't care" meant I was an independent woman.Before I became a woman I only saw the world revolving around me. Before I became a woman I thought that a fast track career would make me happy.Before I became a woman I used to run to people for comfort when I got my heart broken. You see before I became a woman I thought that my hips, lips and finger tips were what separated me from girls.

BUT...

When I became a woman I realized that all the attention I got from boys was nothing compared to the attention I would get from that ONE man that God has set apart for me whose wisdom will remind me of Solomon, whose faith will remind me of Abraham, whose leadership  will remind me of Moses and most of all whose character will remind me of Christ!. and so I chose to wait..

Song 8:4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.

When I became a woman I realized that I should be spirit-led and less emotionally-led, where I would refuse to be controlled by my emotions even when I feel justified because its "that time of the month". I should refuse to hold grudges, I should refuse to release my frustrations on someone just because am having a "bad day" and where I do not ask myself how I FEEL in order to do something right but do it because its right.

Galatians 5:16: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
When I became a woman I realized that being independent meant me depending on Christ, me depending on friends and family when I am not able to do on my own. So I had to build my relationship with Christ, my family and friends and go from  a "don't care" attitude to a "do-care" attitude and care about others more than I do myself.

  Philippians2:4:Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

When I became a woman I realized that this life is not my own and am stable only when Christ is the center of my life that with Him as my foundation I am unshakable! I realized that placing myself before Him meant that I would draw my strength from myself and am only human so I would get weary and so now I draw my strength from the ONE who promises to renew my strength.

Isaiah 40:31: But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.
When I became a woman I realized that people will fail you simply because they are human and so I stopped running to people when I had my heart broken and instead I get down on my knees and talk to the ONE who is able to put back every piece of my heart and make it whole, the ONE who sees every tear and says "I will never leave you nor forsake you" meaning He would never walk away even when things got tough.
When I became a woman I realized that nothing in this world would satisfy and all along I was looking for things and people to fill the void in my heart which HE only can fill.
When I became a woman I realized a woman's beauty goes beyond the physical, its her gentle spirit, its her warm presence, its her giving heart, its her calm nature and her love for good that makes her GORGEOUS.

  Deuteronomy 31:8: It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

 

 1 Peter 3:3-4: Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 

 

Mathew 6:33:But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

I have to say that when I became a woman I changed my role models and stopped looking up to the women who drop it like its hot, who sleep around because they are playing the field and who make their choices based on articles in magazines. Instead I choose to aim at having the obedience of Mary, the faith of Rahab, the humility of Ruth, the boldness of Esther, the hard-working nature of the proverbs 31 woman and most importantly that my character would reflect that of Christ.

GUEST BLOG FOR MEN ONLY: Sexual Purity for believers By Ernest Wamboye

A friend of mine had told me about a blog called PEN STROKES and the way she described it I just had to look at it. So,I finally got the blogger (Ernest Wamboye) to write an article for my men readers since I had a guy ask me if my blog is for ladies only after I had posted an article for the ladies. So here is the post by this great man of God I still cannot believe he is just 24 and has been married for a year now to a beautiful woman of God. I believe he has been given  wisdom beyond his age....

When I faced severe sexual temptation and struggles in campus, it was hard to talk about it. There was the fear of being judged- and there was the fear of embarrassment. Guys, you feel me on this, right? Many guys, therefore, prefer to lock themselves up and hope that the problem will go away. However, it doesn’t. The first step to getting out of the rut is confession. We need to talk about it. I pray that you will be brave enough to admit your fears and weaknesses before other men. As believers, there is a lot that God states about our sexuality. He’s shouting from the rooftops. The question is: are we listening? Hopefully these points will help you put some things into practice as you look for mature godly men to walk out of addictions like pornography and masturbation. It eats on the inside and it must be amputated.

1. Usain Bolt should be your role model

Dude, run! When you feel your blood rushing in all the wrong places and the temptress is upon you, flee. I have been locked in a room before with a good-looking prostitute who wanted to have some fun. She had sneaked into our room and convinced my pal to go out and find her missing shoes. I was left in the room with her and the door was locked. She openly seduced me and I was losing my grip. I kept resisting until my pal came back. Had he come a minute later, I wouldn’t be sharing this story. However, I remembered God’s clear call to run, like Joseph.

Genesis 39:12-13 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house

Even if she sings in the choir and goes to church four times a week, RUN! Wisdom abounds but few men grasp it.

2. The best defence is a no-fence

Are you still negotiating with death? You want to know how close to the edge of the cliff can you stand without falling. That’s why you ask how far is too far. You are seated on the fence. Where there is smoke there is fire. Make your stand absolute; God’s is. Kissing is foreplay guys. It isn’t activity to pass time. Take time and read books concerning your sexuality. You will realize that your body responds very differently from what the movies tell you. Even the scientists have facts on this one, but God beat them to it.

Ephesians 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.

3. “Appreciating beauty” is the path to pornography and masturbation

Many Christian men use this terrible excuse a lot. A girl in a short skirt walks by and all the heads turn. The glances linger and the excuse is that God’s work of beauty must be appreciated. If you give excuses with lust, you will find yourself in a slow fade to pornography and masturbation. It starts with the girl on the street and continues to the girl on the screen.

Job 31:1 "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.

4. The Standards are high!

95% of men face sexual temptation frequently; the remaining 5% are lying. The standards by God are high, guys. Listen to what Jesus said.

 Matthew 5:27-28 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

None of us is righteous when it comes to sexual sin. We need to adopt humility in full view that our sins have separated us from God.

5. There is hope.

Christ Jesus took the punishment for our sins. Does that mean we have a leeway to sin? Absolutely not! The gravity of his sacrifice for you should be pondered on frequently. It will humble you out of your self-righteousness and it will affirm you out of your weakness. Christ died so that we should live. His Grace is not only for pardon but also for empowerment not to fall. I married my wife a year ago. We were both virgins and we waited for the marriage bed. It is possible even in the 21^st century because as long as you have committed to Christ, the victory is won; you just need to live it out. Find the things that destroy your hope. Find the TV series, the magazines, the company and all the stuff that causes you to struggle. Destroy them and embrace life! The last TV series I watched was in 2010. Why? They caused me to stumble. Embrace the hope and set the pace for the women you date, are engaged to and even are married to. Marriage doesn’t mean the struggle of lust will go away guys. Protect your woman’s virtue-even from yourself. Don’t kill the hope availed to you on that cross. Purity will never be a fashion so don’t wait for the masses. Live humbly, live righteously. We have all we need for Godliness.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness

Grace and Love,

Ernest

Faith

We have all heard or read of the great men and women in the bible, like how David with just a sling killed a giant, how Moses led the Israelites and believed God to part the Red Sea, how Abraham at 100 years old believed that God would give him and his aged wife a son, how Daniel refused to bow down to any other God and ended up in a lion's den, how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace, how Mary accepted to carry Jesus trusting it was God's will even though she was engaged...I can go on and on and on...
Funny how when we hear these stories we forget that these people were ordinary people like you and me, who God used to do amazing things that changed the world forever. These were ordinary people who faced the same challenges we do now maybe even worse, example: Mary was in love with Joseph and had saved herself for him, but when she was told that she was chosen to carry the Messiah she said “I am the Lord’s servant,May your word to me be fulfilled.” She was ready to give it all up just to do God's will and God brought Joseph in the plan. How many of us ladies would give up that fine young brother and trust God to work things out for us so as to fulfill His will? How many of us with a gun pointed on our heads if asked to denounce Christ would? and Daniel was ready to die for Him, How many of us work ourselves up because we do not see the job, the business, the spouse that God has promised? when Abraham believed God when it seemed impossible or when David believed that God would give him victory with only a sling and a stone(1Sam 17:1-58). How many of us believe that we are too messed up or too weak for God to use us to do great things? when Moses a stammerer was used by God and performed great miracles. 
  
Luke 1:35-38: The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Daniel 3:24-25: Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

The same God who parted the Red Sea, who made David defeat Goliath, who saved Daniel from the lions. who saved  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fire, who gave Abraham a son at 100 years old and who used a small normal girl to carry the Messiah is the SAME God who is alive today. So stop worrying that you do not have a job, you are broke, you are single or whatever else, if God can do all these great things what can He not do? Nothing is impossible with God!

So, all these people and many others who we read or hear about from the bible were not supermen or superwomen, they were people just like you and me who trusted God enough, who believed in Him to use  them to accomplish the great things they did. It only takes faith as little as a mustard seed for you to say to a mountain to move and it will move. None of these people was perfect but God used them, whats your excuse? You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish if only you trust God instead of trusting yourself or your friends

All we need is FAITH, trust God with all your heart and leave Him to take care of you, leave Him to lead you in everything you do and you will be amazed at what He can do. You just might be who people read about in 50 years to come just because you had FAITH.

Self love

Confession time:I am very forgetful and I can take a joke too far and at times I miss out on the reminder that a situation is serious and does not need any jokes. These qualities have got me into trouble with both family and friends and maybe the reasons why my childhood dream of becoming a doctor never came true because probably I would have forgot and left a pair of scissors in a patient's stomach or I would make a joke when breaking the news to family and friends who have just lost their loved ones. Oh well....

Okay that aside, I know each one of us has that one thing either physically or a quality you have that you would want to change. Maybe its because people have told you that you are too tall, too big, too skinny, too dark, too short or whatever else they have told you or you have compared yourself to the pictures in the magazines or you compare yourself to someone who seems to have "it all  together".

BUT.... I have to say that when God made you, He made you exactly the way you are so as to fulfill your purpose on earth, He made you to be that height, He made your nose to look that way, He made your eyes to be that big or that small and He gave you that personality. He did not make a mistake . So the opinion of others should not matter because they did not create you, so who are they to tell you what you have is too much or too little, they have nothing to do with the plans that God has for you.

God made you exactly the way you are for a reason and the perks that we have for a reason because in our weaknesses He is made strong. Have you not seen people with no limbs touch the world? (nick vujicic) Have you not seen the blind, the deaf do amazing things? The people the society might have rendered useless do amazing things because God qualifies the unqualified. Because He does not see people the way we do, He does not look at the physical but at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7: But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Peter 3:3-4 :Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 

Psalm 139:13-16 : For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
 
God took His time creating you and as He says in His word that He set you apart even when you were in your mother's womb. He qualified you,so you are the perfect height,the perfect size, the perfect skin color, you have the perfect personality, your nose is in the right position to accomplish what God wants you to.

So  the next time you are tempted to compare yourself with someone who seems to have it all together or to compare yourself with the pictures in the magazine or to believe what someone else tells you,  remember that you have God's approval, you have His stamp on you that says you are beautifully and wonderfully made. For the weaknesses we have, we have them because it is through that that God's strength will be seen when we defeat the odds and achieve what others thought we could not achieve such that everyone will know that it was truly the hand of God in our lives.
So accept yourself, love yourself because the maker of the universe says you are beautiful, talented, smart, strong and you are the apple of His eye, let NO ONE tell you different.

Believing

I recently downloaded some work out routines which I use every morning, each work out is 45seconds but woooaah! they are the longest 45 seconds of my life! More than once I have felt the urge of giving up before the seconds are up but I keep telling myself that whatever am working for will not come easily so under my patting I whisper and ask God to give me strength then before I know it I am done with it.

Adding on to the activities I have taken up recently, I started a small home garden. I have planted lettuce, spinach, flowers, cucumbers and most recently, Sukuma Wiki (Kales). Now the kales were more work than I expected, after planting them a few day later the leaves started turning yellow and dropping despite me religiously watering them morning and evening. I was almost giving up on them, until recently when mum pointed out saying "your sukumas are growing" Wow! they have now new fresh leaves,  couldn't believe it! I had thought of plucking them out.

Ever been in a situation where you have been praying for a breakthrough but it seems like the answer is coming on a tortoise? You do not think you have the strength to keep holding on or to keep believing? You have been praying for a loved one to get healed or for your healing? You have been praying for a job? You have been praying for a spouse? You have been praying for your marriage? You have been praying for a financial breakthrough? Whatever it may be,you feel like you are on the verge of just letting it go and call it quits because if anything the situation seems to be getting worse.

John 11:43-44;   Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Before Jesus ordered for Lazarus to come forth, He had asked the people to roll out the stone from the tomb and Martha, sister to Lazarus said that the stench would be strong as her brother had been dead for four days, but Jesus told her that "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?". Which situation are you in now that you think that even if God was to show up now and answer your prayers that it would be too late? The same way Martha thought it was already four days Jesus, he has already decayed and the stench proves it? 
I love this song that says "Even if He is four days late He is still on time"Because it reminds me when I am downcast and thinking Lord I want to give up, I want to let go that  God is always in control, nothing surprises Him, even before a heartache touches my life it has to go through His hands. That even if in the natural it may seem that nothing can be done, I will still believe that Christ will change my situation that my joy will be restored. 
So believe with me today, that it does not matter how the situation looks like right now, but its not over until God says it is over. So push on, fight on, do not cease praying and most important do not stop believing. It is going to get better and funny thing is most of the times when we are on the verge of giving up, that was when the breakthrough was coming.
The same thing Jesus told Martha that if she would believe she would see the glory of God, is the same thing God is telling you today. 

Have any plans?

My bucket list
1. Learn how to swim
2. Go bungee jumping
3. Go sky diving
4. Learn Spanish (mama mia!)
5. Learn to play a guitar
6. Play with dolphins
7. Catch a sea turtle and then watch it walk into the ocean.
8. Climb Mt. Kenya

Its longer than this but these are the main things in my list. So ever wanted to do something and you keep on pushing it forward always having an excuse, maybe the money is not enough, or the time is not enough?. I remember for me I was waiting for the sunny weather in Nairobi to show up to start my swimming lessons, but now since I changed my hairstyle from braids, my excuse went from the cold weather to I don't want my hair to get wet. 
Sometimes I think we miss the chance to do the things we have always wanted to do because simply we do not do it! We do not take that first step which will always make the second and third step easier. So why not, do it! Want to start a business? Do it! Want to lose some weight? Do it! Want to start saving more? Do it! Just anything that you have been meaning to do, get up and do it!

Ecclesiastes 11:4: Whoever watches the wind will not plant  whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

Mathew 25: 14-30: “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. ...

2Kings 7:4: If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.”

The one who sits down and wishes will never get what they wish for unless they decide to do it. You will never see that dream come true unless you get up and take the first step, So stop the wishful thinking and get up and do it!

Other than that I believe our plans will fail if we do not involve God, because He is the creator of the universe. How awesome would it be to be receiving counsel from the one who made the business markets, from the one who created the weather, from the one who plans out everything. It would be amazing! you would get ideas that no one has ever thought of, your business will prosper even in the hardest economic times, your plans will always work out well.

Proverbs 16:3: Ask the Lord to bless your plans, and you will be successful in carrying them out. 

Jeremiah 29:11-14: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. 

 

God wants us to step out in faith and take risks to do what we have always wanted to do (of course am not talking of anything that will displease God) , He wants us to be proactive and to stop wishful thinking and just get up and do it!. At the same time we have to place our plans in His hands because that is the ONE true secret to success. So whats in your bucket list? whats your dream? what are the things that you want to achieve in 5, 10 or 15 years? Why don't you start working for them now? Take that first leap of faith and place them in God's hands, He shall never fail you.

 

For the ladies

This is the second time I am writing to the ladies, the first time was about us pulling each other up here and now today I just wanted to be honest with you and just talk about sexual purity and relationships. I know many will not agree with this but we should understand that God's standards will never change for us and there will come a time where EVERY knee will bow to Him.

So you have this "nice guy" he does everything right, he is faithful, he is "God-fearing" because yes he goes to church or you drag him to church hoping to change him, he treats you right and you guys have been together for sometime now and to top it off you two have sex with only each other and maybe "shacking up" (living with each other without any sort of commitment like marriage) or you occasionally spend your weekends at his crib.
You have this guy who you are madly in love with but he gives you mixed signals you do not know where you stand with him, you are the one who initiates meetings or you continuously call or text him but he will never be the first to.
You have this guy who treats you like trash he abuses you physically and verbally, he sleeps with everything in a skirt but you stick with him maybe because you say you are "in love" with him or he has fathered your child.


This are just some of the kind of relationships I know most ladies are in. So where is the truth I want to share?
A man is supposed to lead meaning he should lead you even spiritually. You are not supposed to be the one dragging him to church news flash honey, he will be doing it just to make you happy but not for his own spiritual nourishment.
A God-fearing man does not mean a guy who goes to church but the minute you two are out of church you end up all alone in his house rubbing on each other. A God-fearing man is a man who pursues Christ wholeheartedly whose lifestyle shouts out Christ, he will not be lifting up his hands in worship in church and the next minute his hands are up your skirt. He will be determined to protect your purity because he understands that is what God commands.
A man who truly loves you will commit because he will not want you to get away so he will not waste time to lock you down before another guy shows up, he will not shack up with you.
Men go for what they want and usually they will stop at nothing to get it, so if he wants you, he will come after you, he will make his intentions clear, you will not have to guess where you stand with him.
A man who loves and deserves you will treat you right, he will treat you like a queen because he knows your worth, he will never lay a hand on you or go around cheating on you with anything that wears a skirt.

Proverbs 3:15: She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Proverbs 31:30: Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

So its time women realize who they are in Christ, to know they are precious jewels and they do not have to settle for less. So I urge you ladies if you are shacking up its time for you to pack it up and leave, if you are in an abusive relationship pack it up and leave, if that "God-fearing" man is not leading you to Christ then pack it up and leave, If you are busy chasing a man who is not totally sold out on you, pack it up and leave! after all the bible says HE who finds a wife NOT SHE that finds a husband.
Yes I know its hard and I understand, you maybe thinking its too late we have been together  for years now and your family has met him or you maybe thinking where will another good looking guy come by you'd rather stick with the one you have or you and him are planning to get married and you are in love and you sleep only with each other so there is nothing wrong with that.

Psalms 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

 

 

 

Dear sisters, You are created by the author of love, when He created you He already knew the man He would match you up with. He knows the desires of your heart, why don't you give Him a chance and let Him write your love story, let Him present that man who submits to Christ, that man who will love you like Christ loved the Church, that man who will lead you to Christ. Let go and let Him, it will not be easy, I know from experience but following Christ will cost you.

 

 Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

You may think that you do not need that after all things are going well, this is because of God's grace where He gives us a few breaks here and there but that will never amount to the life he has for you.

So let us avoid the soul ties that come with us having sex outside marriage that forces you to stay with a man that abuses you, lets avoid unnecessary heartaches because we decided to do it our way, lets avoid giving up what is meant for your future husband only. God gives second chances all you have to do is repent and turn around and start walking with Him.  So seek HIM first and He will bring you that man in due time.

Isaiah 34:16^: Seek out of the book of the Lord and read: not one of these [details of prophecy] shall fail, none shall want and lack her mate [in fulfillment]. For the mouth [of the Lord] has commanded, and His Spirit has gathered them.

 
Not one will lack her mate, God Himself said it so stop worrying when the man will come or do not give into the pressure of society talking about your biological clock and just settle. God will reveal Him in due time, till then ladies, live in purity, serve Christ in your singleness and everything else, EVERYTHING ELSE will be given to you.


For the guys I will bring in a guy to write it from a guy's point of view...soon.

God's answers

 
I was excited I had just bought beachwear at a cheap price, now all I had to do is to wait for the go-ahead from the lecturer. He was to tell us the date we would travel to Mombasa as part of our  field study. I had never traveled to the Coast and I had been waiting for this trip since I was a freshman to add on top of the excitement it was the last semester of my senior year in college so I thought it would have been the best way to wrap up the amazing four years with my friends.
The lecturer kept on pushing forward the dates, we kept pestering our class representative to follow up on the details of the trip until we eventually gave up when the exam timetables came out alerting us we were coming to the end of the semester and I had to camp in the library to catch up on the lost time spent fantasizing about my stay in Mombasa. So for the first time in the history of my school we were the first seniors who did not go to Mombasa for the field study (sad face).
I eventually got over it and did my last exams and moved back home. Every time I think of what happened next I am always blown away by how God plans out events. A close friend of mine got an offer from one of my former lecturers to act as a student guide for students from California and in the process got me a spot into that, to cut the long story short, I eventually went to Mombasa for a week! I ate the best Swahili dishes daily! I visited the best beaches and visited an Island and to top it off we stayed for a day in a 5 star hotel! Oh! I 'swam' in the ocean for the first time.
That was the best week of my life!
No, am not starting a travel diary am sharing this because through this I learned that......

So many times we want God to do something for us and we give Him details on how it should be done, when and where and when it does not turn out the way we had planned we assume God did not answer our prayers.

1 John 5:14-15: And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.

James 4:3: You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Could you be praying  for something right now and it may seem God is taking forever to answer? Ask yourself what are the motives behind you asking for that thing are they for selfish reasons? Do your motives line up with God's word? Sometimes we do not get what we ask because we ask with all the wrong reasons.

 Habakkuk 2:3 :For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 

Isiah40:31: But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Psalm 27:14:: Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! 

 Or are you even giving God time to reveal it to you at His own timing? or are you busy checking your own calender and thinking God is delaying and maybe at times try and do it on your own?

 I believe that God did not allow me to go to Mombasa the first time because I had the wrong motives, studying was no where close to what I wanted to do and how I wanted to spend my nights was no where close to me honoring God.
I also believe He answered my prayer in His own timing, I had the chance to visit Mombasa when the weather was not that hot and in the process made new friends and I believe it brought me closer to that particular friend I went with. I am forever grateful I went when I went.

So instead of giving God a timeline on when, how and where when you ask Him for anything, let Him present it to you at His own time and let Him give you what He knows is best for you and not what you think is best for you. So trust God's timing always and you will never be dissapointed He repays you the time you spent waiting. For me He simply answered " I have something better for you"

                                                 Me and one of my best friends

                                                         The view was amazing!

                                                  The new friends I made

Christianity 101 retake

Lessons from kids

If you grew up in Kenya, I bet you sang or heard kids sing " One, two make a circle, three, four, a big circle like a *sufuria" I heard this today and thought to myself, "A *sufuria?" it depends a *sufuria for bachelors? or a *sufuria for the graduation parties or wedding ceremonies? LOL! Our adult like mind always has  a way of complicating things doesn't it? So I blogged about how we can trust in God in our day to day life by going back to the beginning here and also a few lessons about Christian living lessons from kids here

Hope the posts will help you rely on God with child like faith.

*Sufuria- Swahili word for  a flat based, deep sided, lipped and handle less cooking pot or container,

Be yourself

One of my favorite pastime activity is watching wildlife documentaries, I just love love love them. Now that we know the degree of my interest in watching them I just had to share some things I learn from this.

A leopard had just caught prey and some lionesses had their eye on the meat so they were determined to have it by any means possible, the leopard picked up the meat and climbed up the tree. The lion tried to get up the tree but could not get half way up the tree for obvious reasons-lions are not designed to climb trees.
My favorite hunters are cheetahs, they usually start sprinting for their prey from a far distance compared to lions who creep up to almost being a stone throw away from their prey. Despite cheetahs sprinting from afar they almost never miss their prey, wuuuh! they are fast!
I cannot talk about wild animals without mentioning one of the wonders of the world, the wildebeest migration, its amazing how they know when to move from Serengeti National Park to Maasai Mara hey! that is what leaves us wondering.

So what am I getting at? I think one of the things that fascinates me about animal behavior is that they react and act the way they do out of instinct. Its how God created them to be, you will never see a cheetah trying to behave like a lion or vice verse. They seem to know their limits and strengths e.g the lion trying to climb the tree reached a point and knew that no matter how hungry they are that tree climbing was just not for them and the cheetah who undoubtedly knows they have speed hence they do not creep up on the prey for long.  Even the migration, no one tells or leads them to cross the Mara.
Just like the animals, when God created us He placed specific talents, gifts and personalities in each one of us. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, we were uniquely created for our different God-given destinies.

Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 

Psalms 139:14: I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 

So where do we get the idea that we have to act like someone else to be better, that we  get jealous of what someone else has or when they get what we wanted?

I believe that we all have our portion in life and that God did not make a mistake when He made us look the way we do, when He gave us the talents and gifts we have or giving us the personalities we have. He simply has a plan for me and you and they cannot be the same so quit being jealous of others, quit trying to be like someone else embrace what you have, discover God's will for your life, get to know your talents and gifts that God placed in you. Maybe you have believed the Devil's lie that you are weird but God says you are different because He made all of us different so as to fulfill different things.

So, stop competing with everyone else and just be YOU because God created you to just be YOU.

Christianity 101 lesson 3

Lessons from friends

 

 

I am truly grateful for the friends I have,they add value to my life and every time am with them I learn new things about being a light in the world and being a blessing to others. These are just a few of the lessons I have picked up from them...

 Look out for Others Interests
Just recently one of my friends gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, I have just seen the pictures and I can't wait to see him up close. So two of my friends, Shakina* and Shataya*  have visited her more than once since and being the girls they are they always do a lot of shopping before heading there. They show me what it means to be a true friend because they celebrate you through the good and the bad, they help our "mama" friend with the new born and am talking about the waking up in the middle of the night kind of help and changing diapers (Will have to confirm if they changed diapers).Oh! I might add the "mama" friend does not live that close by. They show me that being a friend means taking time out of your schedule and being there for a friend in need, going out of your way and show her that you care, that words are not enough but actions will truly show that you love and care about them.  They show selfless love.

Philippians 2:4 
do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

 Being Generous
Francisca* is a friend I have known since I was 10 years old and she was 11. We usually introduce ourselves as sisters to strangers. I usually have to fight with her about who will pay the fare, pay for lunch or any kind of bill we might incur when we hang out because she always insists on paying for everything not because she is rich but because she believes you do not need to have more than enough to be a giver. When am broke she always has my back and she gets me lunch or whatever or when I get myself complaining how I have so many things to do and no money to do them, her response is always " YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH YOU SHALL NEVER LACK". This is what makes her have such a giving heart because she has mastered that God will always bless a hand that gives and He shall never let us lack, the same way he takes care of the lilies He will take care of us. So our lack should never be a hindrance for us to be a blessing to others.

Proverbs 22:9 He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor

Luke 6:38: Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.

Trusting God
Camilla* has gone through a lot this year she lost her sister and her relatives ended up in hospital for sometime but now thank God they are okay. I was amazed by the strength she had during this tough time in her life, she would say that her heart will bless the Lord through it all and in the end she believed God will see her through. I am not sure I would have had her attitude if I was in the same situation probably I would have been mad at God and decide that I was better off without Him. She never gave up on God, she never saw the tragedy as His fault but she looked to Him to be her source of strength and praised His name and thanking Him that through it all He held her hand.

Philippians 4:12-13: I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

1peter 5:1: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

 Being an example

Diane* , I have known her since my freshman year in College,its amazing how God builds friendships. We barely said a word to each other during our first semester and now we talk daily and talk about EVERYTHING that happens to us  to the smallest details. She was and still is an example to me of Christian living, she would wake up daily at 5am and go out to spend time with God in prayer during this time I had one foot in the world and the other in church so I did not see the sense of her going through all that trouble and our first class was to start at 10am, I usually told her she would rather go for a jog. Now I understand why it is important for a Christian to prioritize time to spend time with God in prayer and reading the word. It is that close relationship with Christ that sets apart the true Christian from the Luke-warm Christian.

Ephesians 5:11: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

1 Corithians11:1 :Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
 

Mathew 5:16: In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 

 * the names have been changed for certain reasons. I love my friends.