With permission, I have extracted this photo with permission from a website called Eternity In Our Hearts. All rights reserved worldwide.
On the night of December 24th in 1997, I attended my first night mass in my hometown Catholic Church. I felt strangely honoured to be in the church at night which I had hitherto only attended during the day. And I enjoyed the nativity play that was staged by the then church youth group. My favourite actor that year was a youth named Alexander who humorously guided the audience from one scene to another.
I continued attending those Christmas eve night masses in the years that followed. When I attended the one of the year 2000, I prayed for success in my KCPE exams that I was to sit for the following year in November. God answered my prayers because I scored an impressive 421 marks (out of 500) in the exams which led to my admission at Starehe Boys' Centre, Kenya's best high school back then.
And when I attended the night mass of 2004, I prayed not only for success in my KCSE exams that I was to sit for the following year but also for good health. Again, God answered my prayers because I had vibrant health throughout the year 2005. And I passed the mighty KCSE exams with flying colours. I scored A's in all eight subjects. Or to be more precise, I got six A's and two A-'s.
Yesterday as I prepared to usher 2018, I decided to pray for all that I desire just like I did in 2000 and 2004. Here's how I prayed:
Lord, my dear God - Creator of the Universe and the joy of my heart - I thank You for letting me see yet another year (2018) as a sprightly healthy young man. Thank You so much.
Lord, forgive me for all the sins I have committed in the past, especially against my parents. Let me begin the New Year as a guiltless, free young man.
Lord, help me to forgive those who have sinned against me in the past. Let me begin the New Year without any traces of hatred and ill-will toward anybody. Or as Abraham Lincoln would put it, let me begin the year "with malice toward none and charity for all".
Lord, I will strive to delight in You each day of this year. Reward my efforts by fulfilling all the desires of my heart. By the way, do You remember the desires that I have repeatedly made known to You in my prayers? Of course I know You do because You are all-knowing.
Lord apart from fulfilling those desires, fill my soul with never-fading joy, love, hope, faith, peace, courage and gratitude; my mind with wisdom, insight, knowledge and good judgement; and my body with vibrant health and youthful swagger.
Lord, throughout 2018, be my strength in my moments of weakness. And in my wanderings, be my guide. May I have good luck in all my endeavours.
Lord, I also place my wonderful parents into your able hands. They worked hard to give us a solid foundation of knowledge and discipline. Reward them for their efforts with good health and long life. May they live to see me sit among the mighty.
That's all I am praying for, Lord. And do all that and much more to my siblings (Joe, Bob, Paddy & Symo) as well as to my relatives and true friends. Amen.
There you have it: my prayer for 2018, that is. I believe God will answer all that I have mentioned in the prayer like He did for me in 2000 and 2004. But I humbly add, let His will be done.
Likewise, I urge you to not only voice your prayers to God - the supreme friend to every individual and the common inexhaustible reservoir of love - but also pen what you write so that you can track God's work in your life. Over to you!
This is the Enola Gay plane dropping an atom bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. The Thuita doctrine is about a possible virtuous use of the atom bomb to save the human civilization from extinction. Yahoo, it's Christmas Day! For me, I have always loved this day because I get to feast on sumptuous dishes and drink lots of juice. And as I now get older and wiser, I am also celebrating this day since it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, my best friend in whom are hidden all knowledge and wisdom.
As I prepared to usher this special day yesterday, I thought about the atom bomb and its possible potential to save the human civilization from extinction. Are you ready to hear my idea? Okay... On your mark... Get set... Read!
The creation of the atom bomb was first thought possible by a team of scientists that included the great particle physicist Albert Einstein. In a letter written in 1939, Einstein advised Franklin Roosevelt, the then President of the United States, that the United States government sets aside funds to construct the bomb. Mark you, 1939 was one of those years preceding World War 2 during which enemy nations were rising against the United States, such as Japan which in 1941 bombed the Pearl Harbour in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Roosevelt acceded to Einstein's request and in a short time, the United States government set aside funds for the construction of the potentially lethal bomb. And in a few years, the created atom bombs were secretly tested which proved to be as lethal as Einstein had predicted.
And you know what? In 1945 when Japan continued being a pain in the [insert body part here] to the United States during World War 2, Harry Truman, the then President of the United States who had succeeded Roosevelt, ordered two atom bombs to be dropped in Japan. The effect of the bombs were so devastating that Japan quickly surrendered. And that ended World War 2.
It's interesting to note that Albert Einstein, who masterminded the construction of the atom bomb, had fled Germany, another enemy nation of the United States during World War 2, in the 1930s to avoid the injustices that were meted out to the Jews by the barbaric Nazi regime headed by Adolf Hitler. The escape of Einstein from Germany turned out to be a big blessing in disguise because had he stayed in Germany, he would have assisted the barbaric Nazi regime in creating the first atom bomb which would have made the world take an unfair dangerous turning point. God be thanked that it is the just and fair United States government, with its tenets of liberty and justice for all, that first created the atom bomb.
The United States was lucky to have been the only nation on Earth in 1945 with the intelligence and resources to create an atom bomb. So when it dropped the lethal bombs on Japan that year, no opposing nation could counter the aggression.
Today, things have changed because every major power has an arsenal of atom bombs. The Soviet Union, for instance, constructed an even more lethal Hydrogen bomb a few years after the end of World War 2. So if Washington decides to drop an atom bomb in Moscow now, ten minutes later, Chicago and New York City will be annihilated. It's now not an issue of dropping the atom on somebody; it's now an issue of dropping the atom bomb on everybody.
I think that's why in 1949, Albert Einstein quipped, "I do not know with what weapons World War 3 will be fought but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." Of course Einstein's point, I think, was that World War 3 would involve the use of advanced atom bombs that would wipe out all civilized men on Earth, sparing only bushmen in remote areas who would use sticks and stones in World War 4.
With gratitude and profound respect, I salute all the world leaders since the end of World War 2 who laboured wisely and diligently to prevent the occurrence of another world war which would have led to a nuclear holocaust. Leaders like John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Colin Powell and Mikhail Gorbachev.
The atom bomb is lethal for shizzle. That's why I have listed it on the side bar of this blog as one of the scientific marvels. Once you are through with reading this story, I advise you to go through this blog's sidebar, which I modified two days ago, to see the full list of scientific marvels together with other amazing facts and words of wisdom.
Coming back to the issue of the atom bomb, I remembered yesterday reading in an old international news magazine (either Time or Newsweek), when I was in fourth form at Starehe Boys' Centre, of a massive celestial body that bombarded Jupiter circa 1994. Scientists estimate that the impact didn't affect Jupiter that much since the planet is gigantic. But if the same celestial body had bombarded the Earth, which is far too smaller than Jupiter, it's effect on our grand and beautiful planet would have been so catastrophic that it would probably have led to the extinction of some living species on Earth.
I therefore thought to myself as a wise man would think, "How about using the atom bomb to prevent such a catastrophe?" And from that question, I came up with what I call the Thuita doctrine which states as follows:
The international community should team up to create seven extremely lethal atom bombs that should be rocketed to the international space station in readiness to dismantle into dust any massive celestial body that might be detected to be on its way to bombard the Earth.
That Thuita doctrine could save the human civilization from the extinction that befell on dinosaurs which some scientists propound was caused by a huge meteorite that struck the Earth during the Mesozoic Era. So the atom bombs, which after World War 2 worried some world leaders that they could end the human civilization, could actually save it from extinction. See?
I have shared this Thuita doctrine with the White House as well as with the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA). If my doctrine succeeds in stimulating a lively discussion on that possible virtuous use of the atom bomb, I shall be satisfied. If it leads, however, to the salvation of human civilization from extinction even 1000 years from now, I shall be greatly rewarded. Merry Christmas!
"Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice! Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do... Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."
~Phillipians 4:4-7 (TLB)
About the Author
Name: Thuita J. Maina Nationality: Kenyan Lives in: Kiserian, Rift Valley, Kenya Mission: To inspire the world to godly living, one person at a time.
Just For Laughs
There was this drunkard named Azoge who loved drinking at Josiah's Bar. On being told a certain Hon. Nanga was flying to America to be conferred a law degree so that he could be admitted to the bar, Azoge replied, "Why fly all the way to America to be admitted to the bar while you can get into Josiah's Bar any time?"
The 7 Deadly Sins
Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth
Author's Note
I am learning to treat life as a journey, not a destination. So I am trying to enjoy each day as I anticipate to fulfill my dreams especially meeting my soulmate and traveling abroad. Tomorrow may never be mine.
Fun Facts
The fear of having no cell-phone service, running out of battery, or losing sight of your phone is called Nomophobia, reportedly affecting 66% of people.
A single Google search needs more computing power than it took to send Apollo 11 to the moon. The Apollo computer was less equipped than a modern toaster.
Besides being some of the biggest names in the tech industry, HP, Apple, Google and Microsoft share another commonality. They all started in garages.
~Extracted from Codingforums.com
Health Tip
So many of us take for granted the wonderful construction of the human body and the workings of its various parts. Some of us even expect it to function efficiently with less than the minimum care and attention. Learn the much you can about your body and how the care of it can help to give you that greatest blessing of all - good health.
Wonders of the Modern World
The Simplon Tunnel
The Sky-scrapers of New York
The Boulder Dam of Colorado
The Panama Canal
The Golden Gate Bridge
The Taj Mahal at Agra in India
The North Sea Oil Drilling Rigs
Great Example for Politicians
"My life in politics was a joy. I loved campaigns and I loved governing. I always tried to keep things moving in the right direction, to give more people a chance to live their dreams, to lift people's spirits, and to bring them together. That's the way I kept score."
~Bill Clinton
Scientific Marvels
Space travel
Heart surgery
Fibre-optics communication
Concorde
Computers & Radios
Anesthetics
The atom bomb
My Supreme Desire
Although I'd like to be rich and famous, my supreme desire is to be radiant: to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and goodwill. I wish to live without hate, guilt, worry, jealousy, cynicism and envy. I wish to be honest, natural, confident, clean in mind and body - ready to say "I do not know" if it be so and to treat all men with kindness - to meet any loss, failure, criticism and rejection unabashed and unafraid.
Greatest American Presidents
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Franklin Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Andrew Jackson
Making Peace With the Past
"Dwell not on your past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed."
~Eileen Caddy
Toughest Colleges to Get Into
MIT
Princeton
Harvard
Yale
Stanford
Brown
Columbia
Why You Should Trust God
"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities and pour out peace."
~Ezra Taft Benson
The 7 Greatest Scientists
Albert Einstein
Isaac Newton
Galileo Galilei
Nikola Tesla
Aristotle
Archimedes
Charles Darwin
You Matter
"Always be yourself. Never try to hide who you are. The only shame is to have shame. Always stand up for what you believe in. Always question what other people tell you. Never regret the past; it's a waste of time. There's a reason for everything. Every mistake, every moment of weakness, every terrible thing that has happened to you, grow from it. The only way you can ever get the respect of others is when you show them that you respect yourself and most importantly, do your thing and never apologize for being you."
~Unknown
The Most Industrialized Nations
United States
Japan
Germany
France
United Kingdom
Italy
Canada
Keys to Success
"...in his effort to withstand temptation, to economize, to exercise thrift, to disregard the superficial for the real - the shadow for the substance; to be great yet small, in his effort to be patient in the laying of a firm foundation; to so grow in skill and knowledge that he shall place his services in demand by reason of his intrinsic and superior worth. This is the key that unlocks every door of opportunity, and all others fail."
~Booker T. Washington
The 7 Social Sins
Politics without principle
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice
Science without humanity
Cherish What You Love
"Cherish your visions, cherish your ideals, cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts - for out of them will grow all heavenly environment, of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built."~James Allen
The World's Largest Cities
London in England
New York in the United States
Tokyo in Japan
Berlin in Germany
Chicago in the United States
Shanghai in China
Paris in France
Benefits of Optimism
"In terms of success, optimistic people out perform their pessimistic colleagues. Research shows that they are consistently promoted higher and make more money while working fewer hours than those who think pessimistically. Optimists also contribute more significantly to social progress. It is the optimists who start and run successful companies, who win elections and carry out reforms, and who make breakthroughs in the realms of science and technology."
~Pepe Minambo
The World's Greatest Lakes
Caspian Sea in the Commonwealth of Independent States, C.I.S. (formerly U.S.S.R)
Lake Superior in North America
Victoria Nyanza in Central Africa
Aral Sea in C.I.S.
Lake Huron in North America
Lake Michigan in North America
Demonstrating His Love
"Take your communication for instance - the way you address others. It ought to be with loving, gracious and edifying words. Never talk people down. Never use words that hurt and demean people. Communicate excellently with others without destroying their self-image or making them feel sorry for themselves. Talk to people in a way that they never forget the excellence of your words, the love and grace of Christ that you communicated. It's how God wants us to love."
