Uplifting Words for You

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."— Maya Angelou


Farewell Advice I Received at Starehe

A True Story
by
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
These were Starehe students in a photo taken in 2005.

Located in Nairobi, Starehe has a stately library, a music band, a magnificent chapel, a swimming pool, a space-age clinic, a fire-fighting squad, computer labs, automatic generators, flat playing fields and boarding houses that foster brotherhood.

The school also has competent teachers. And it admits bright boys, the crème de la crème. As for me, it was an honor making friends with such bright boys and teachers like John Mwaura and Franklin Etyang'.

What's more, the school provided me with an opportunity to identify and develop my interests. Not only did I give speeches and play the piano during evening assemblies, I also learnt to use computers in the institute division of the school.

After attending the school for more than five years, I was released to the world in April 2007 by Prof. Jesse Mugambi, its then director, in a church service during which I was charged to never forget the great benefits I had received in the school, and to remember I carried with me wherever I went, the good name of Starehe.

I was advised to be of good courage, to hold fast that which is good, to listen for the voice of truth, to think fairly, to love widely, to witness humbly, to render to no man evil for evil, to strengthen the faint-hearted, to support the weak, to help the afflicted, to honour all men, to love brotherhood, to build bravely, and to serve God.

And I was prayed for that God may succour me in temptation, preserve me in danger, assist me in every good work, bless me in all my ways, keep me in the knowledge of His love, prosper me in all things good and keep me in the way that leads to eternal life.

*********************
RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story, you might also enjoy another one on "Remembering Dr. Griffin".
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Spread the Love

Facebook icon X icon LinkedIn icon

When Bad Things Happen

A True Story
by Thuita J. Maina
on Jun 28, 2019
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from a Facebook page called Holy Bible. All rights reserved worldwide.

Back in the mid '90s when I was growing up, I once complained that I had never seen accidents happen and instead watched them being reported on TV during news time after they had already taken place. In the many years that followed, the situation remained the same because I don't ever recall witnessing an accident happen on the road. But today, I had a chance to observe one at close range in my hometown of Kiserian.

Well, I was taking my usual morning walk in Kiserian today morning when my attention was suddenly drawn to a tuktuk that was driving onto the main road as a motorbike was speeding towards it. The tuktuk driver seemed unaware of the approaching motorbike, for he continued driving onto the main road. I could tell that the two were going to collide. Luckily, the motorbike rider veered away from the tuktuk to avoid a collision but still, his motorbike hit the tuktuk on the front, breaking a metal rim off the tuktuk.

The motorbike rider didn't stop to apologize for hitting the tuktuk; he just drove on, leaving the tuktuk driver to ponder on the consequences of his vehicle's broken metal rim. And there was a policeman nearby who appeared unwilling to get involved in resolving the minor accident in which nobody was hurt. I also didn't bother to hang around to observe the reaction of the tuktuk driver; I just continued with my walk, the minor accident having reminded me that I am not the only one to whom bad things happen.

Yes, bad things happen to all of us once in a while as we journey through this crazy adventure called life. Some of the bad things include theft, injuries, mistakes, conflicts, criticism, rejections, sicknesses, career failures, rude remarks, financial constraints, technological problems and loss of loved ones. I am sure you've faced such bad things at one time or another in your life.

Personally, I have faced some of those bad things. I have been criticized on countless times, been falsely accused of doing sinful things, been sick on numerous occasions, had my property stolen, been mistreated by others, had my phone malfunction, been short of money many times and had my blog attacked by hackers. Quite a litany of bad things, isn't it?

Since such bad things happen to all of us, I have reflected on the steps we can take to help us cope with negative situations. Foremost in my reflections is turning to God in prayer and pouring out our worries to Him. For those of us who are Christians, we can open the Bible and read verses that can help put our problems into perspective.

Secondly, I have thought of releasing our frustrations caused by the bad things as another way of helping us cope with negative situations. How? By talking to a friend and writing in a journal. That can save us from exploding into rebellion or imploding into a depression.

And lastly, I have thought of trying to identify the lesson learned from the bad thing that has happened to us. I believe there is always a lesson hidden in every adversity. And who knows? That lesson could be the gateway to achieving some of our fondest dreams. That's all I am saying.

**********************
RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story, you might also enjoy another one on "Soaring Like an Eagle".
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Spread the Love

Facebook icon X icon LinkedIn icon
← Newer Stories  ||   Older Stories →

Connect With Me

Do you want to get regular updates of new stories and videos on this blog? Then connect with me on:
Facebook iconFacebook
X iconX
LinkedIn iconLinkedIn
Goodreads iconGoodreads
RSS Feed iconRSS Feed
WhatsApp iconWhatsApp


Latest Stories

How I Reconnected With Music
on October 13, 2025

A Farmhand Mum Liked
on October 08, 2025

Why We Need Challenges
on October 03, 2025

Bible Quote

"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
Marital status: Single
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

  1. Pride
  2. Envy
  3. Gluttony
  4. Lust
  5. Anger
  6. Greed
  7. Sloth

Author's Note

I am learning to treat life as a journey, not a destination; I have therefore given up the things that weighed me down and I am now living my life to the fullest because the tomorrow I had always hoped to live my dreams may never be mine.

Fun Facts

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 Tips

"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 give you that greatest blessing of all - good health."

~From Your Body (A Ladybird Book)

Wonders of the Modern World

  1. The Simplon Tunnel
  2. The Sky-scrapers of New York
  3. The Boulder Dam of Colorado
  4. The Panama Canal
  5. The Golden Gate Bridge
  6. The Taj Mahal at Agra in India
  7. 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

  1. Space travel
  2. Heart surgery
  3. Fibre-optics communication
  4. Concorde
  5. Radios
  6. Computers
  7. Anesthetics

My Supreme Desire

To borrow the words of Elbert Hubbard, my supreme desire is to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and goodwill. I wish to live without fear, hate, guilt, worry and jealousy; to be honest, natural, confident, clean in mind and body - ready to say "I do not know" if it be so; to treat all men with kindness; and to meet any loss, failure, criticism and rejection unabashed and unafraid.



Greatest American Presidents

  1. Abraham Lincoln
  2. George Washington
  3. Thomas Jefferson
  4. Franklin Roosevelt
  5. Theodore Roosevelt
  6. Woodrow Wilson
  7. 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

  1. MIT
  2. Princeton
  3. Harvard
  4. Yale
  5. Stanford
  6. Brown
  7. 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

  1. Albert Einstein
  2. Isaac Newton
  3. Galileo Galilei
  4. Nikola Tesla
  5. Aristotle
  6. Archimedes
  7. 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

  1. United States
  2. Japan
  3. Germany
  4. France
  5. United Kingdom
  6. Italy
  7. 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

  1. Politics without principle
  2. Wealth without work
  3. Pleasure without conscience
  4. Knowledge without character
  5. Commerce without morality
  6. Worship without sacrifice
  7. 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

  1. London in England
  2. New York in the United States
  3. Tokyo in Japan
  4. Berlin in Germany
  5. Chicago in the United States
  6. Shanghai in China
  7. 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

  1. Caspian Sea in the Commonwealth of Independent States, C.I.S. (formerly U.S.S.R)
  2. Lake Superior in North America
  3. Victoria Nyanza in Central Africa
  4. Aral Sea in C.I.S.
  5. Lake Huron in North America
  6. 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."

~Dr. Chris Oyakhilome

World's Longest Rivers

  1. Missouri-Mississipi (U.S.)
  2. Amazon (Brazil)
  3. Nile (Egypt)
  4. Yangtse (China)
  5. Lena (Russia)
  6. Zaire (Central Africa)
  7. Niger (West Africa)