Positive Quote for Today

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


A Self-assessment

A True Story
by
Copyright ©
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With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from Quotes. All rights reserved worldwide.

In 2008 when I started believing in the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, I memorized Psalm 1:1-3, the first biblical verses I ever drilled into my head. And I drilled them with relative ease because they inspired me: the NIV version, that is.

Over the years, I have added more biblical verses to my arsenal of memorized scriptures for use in spiritual warfare. My latest addition are 1st Corinthians 13:4-7 which describe the characteristics of love, emphasizing its selfless and enduring nature.

Inspired by the 2023 Our Daily Bread devotional book, I recently substituted the word "love" with my name in 1st Corinthians 13:4-7. And you know what? The verses made more sense to me when I used my name this way:
Thuita is patient, Thuita is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. He is not rude, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs. Thuita does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
While reflecting on my version of 1st Corinthians 13:4-7 as I have quoted above, some parts of it sounded like me. Others didn't, even though I have been a practicing Christian since 2008.

I have, for instance, been impatient with meeting the woman of my dreams, erupted in anger even though I am humble by nature, been envious of other people's property, acted arrogantly towards some people, kept record of wrongs others have done to me and worried about the future instead of being hopeful that God is working out everything for my good.

Those are just few examples of how I have acted contrary to the kind of love described in 1st Corinthians 13:4-7. If I were to go into details by mentioning all the sins I have done, this story would become too long. And you know how boring it gets to read an online article that requires one to scroll down and down and down.

Let me just admit that I have sinned given the way I haven't lived 1st Corinthians 13:4-7 as I ought to have done. That makes me agree with Benjamin Franklin when he quipped, "How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments."

Realizing I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God has spurred me to cultivate love because it's the easiest way to avoid the sin that so easily entangles. I will therefore strive to be kind, patient, forgiving, hopeful and persevering. So help me God.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed reading the above self-assessment, you might also enjoy a story on "Keys to Success in Business" which I wrote five years ago. Just click that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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Applying Knowledge

A True Story
by Thuita J. Maina
on Jun 26, 2023
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from Quote Fancy. All rights reserved worldwide.

On the evening of last Saturday when I asked Dad whether he had bought cooking oil, he told me he had forgotten about it. Afraid there might not be enough oil for cooking supper, I dashed to the kitchen to check the amount left and found some. I informed Dad about it and went back to my room to continue with what I was doing.

Guess what! About thirty minutes later when I went to Dad's office to check something, I found new cooking oil on the floor. That prompted me to ask him why he told me he forgot to buy cooking oil yet I was now seeing new one in his office. His response? That he just wanted to see how I would react.

I hate to admit this, but Dad offended me by playing tricks on me. It grated my nerves to think I had wasted my time and energy dashing to the kitchen to check the amount of cooking oil left.

As I often do when someone offends me, I sat in quiet contemplation like a king whose subjects had been wiped out by a mysterious disease. Dad sensed I was offended because he apologized to me and promised not to prank me again.

Though his apology sounded sincere, I felt like saying something harsh but then, I remembered reading in H. Jackson Brown Jr.'s Life's Little Instruction Book that "after someone apologizes to you, don't lecture them" and "cruel words can hurt deeply."

Remembering those pieces of advice made me bite my tongue which saved me from saying something hurtful to Dad. That has set me thinking whether I have been applying the knowledge I have acquired over the years.

Well, I have acquired a lot of knowledge. Unhappily, some of it has vanished from my mind for lack of use while some has remained dormant. I have however been able to apply some of it in fulfilling projects, such as setting up this blog, my pride and joy.

The knowledge I have struggled to apply are biblical teachings. Yesterday, I asked myself: When the Bible says we trust God completely, do I do so? When it says we love others as ourselves, do I do so? And when it says we think only what's true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable, do I do so?

Unfortunately, I do not always do so, yet the great Chinese philosopher Confucius said that "the essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance." I will therefore strive to live by what the Bible teaches because applying its knowledge is the key to a long and happy life.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on applying knowledge, you might also enjoy another one on "The Importance of Knowledge" which I wrote last year. Just click that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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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. So I am striving to enjoy each moment even as I anticipate to fulfill my dreams, especially meeting my soulmate and traveling abroad. Tomorrow 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 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."

~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)