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


Remembering Mum

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This is me during Mum's funeral service on February 1st this year. I was so used to smiling before cameras that I forgot to look sorrowful while standing next to Mum's casket.

Mum was a shopkeeper in my hometown of Kiserian at the time I was becoming old enough to know her as my mother. Hers was a modest shop where she sold household stuff and formed lasting friendships. And she clung to that shopkeeping job for more than twenty years.

The first time I walked from home to her shop by myself, she was proud of me. She enthused about it when she came home at night that day. That was way back in 1993 when I was five.

We became so close, Mum and I. She liked taking me along to some of the places she visited: sometimes to check on a relative who was admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi and sometimes to the homes of our neighbours.

At one time when we went to visit the relative who was in Kenyatta National Hospital, I refused to eat something the relative offered me. Mum was so impressed with my refusal to eat in the hospital that on our way back home, she promised to buy me something as a reward.

And at another time as we were trudging home at night after visiting a distant neighbour, I strode faster than her to a point of opening up the distance between us to more than eight metres. When we reached home, she praised me for the courage I had shown of walking alone at night.

One Sunday afternoon in 2000, she took me to Kariokor Market in Nairobi. She showed me the place she worked as a tailor before she relocated to Kiserian. When she told me she would go back to that tailoring job, I silently wished she would really do so because at her shop in Kiserian, she seemed to get wind of every mischief I did.

Like it happened, Mum never left her shopkeeping job. Since she had a heart condition, I would sometimes become anxious when I arrived in Kiserian from Nairobi and found her shop closed. Was she sick or something? I would worry.

Besides running her shop, Mum also engaged in church activities. She was religious. I often heard her praying for each member of our family before she left home to open her shop. A couple of years ago, my kid brother Symo attributed the success we have achieved to Mum's intercessory prayers.

Mum's career as a shopkeeper was cut short in 2013 after she suffered a stroke. My family took her to hospital and afterwards, they let her rest at home. For the ten years she rested at home, I had the luck of keeping her company. And I must say I enjoyed the times we shared together.

Once, I asked her to tell me the story of how she and Dad met. She shied away from telling me about their courtship, claiming that that was an inappropriate story for her to narrate. All she disclosed to me was that she wanted a husband who would never beat her up, a wish that God fulfilled.

Sometime last year, Mum formed a habit of requesting me to give her tea and a few slices of bread before I left home at 5 o'clock for my evening exercises. On noting how she liked tea at that hour, I jokingly asked her if her doctor had prescribed it.

Although Mum never read the Bible as much as I did, she was more generous than me. She often tipped our farmhands after they did something exceptional. And she regularly pestered Dad to send money to bereaved relatives and family friends.

Before Mum passed away peacefully in January this year, she used to cause a scare in our family whenever she became ill. Even her having dizziness alarmed us. Her death saddened us all and brought us together as a family.

After we laid her to rest on February 1st, I lacked the courage to go near her grave. I also avoided listening to songs about mothers that I downloaded on my laptop a couple of years ago.

But three weeks ago, more than six months after Mum's burial, I plucked up the courage to go to her grave. I stayed there for about two minutes and felt in my heart the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Perhaps emboldened by that peace, I started listening to the songs on my laptop about mothers that include Tupac Shakur's "Dear Mama" and the wonderful old hymn "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again". It's like I have healed from the grief of losing Mum.

As Mum resides on high, she probably misses us. She must be wondering when we will join her in heaven. And she probably misses me the most given how close we were, especially during the last few years of her earthly life when we stayed together. May she continue dancing with the angels.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on me remembering Mum, you might also enjoy another one on "Adjusting to Life Without Mum" which I wrote seven months ago. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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Cultivating Patriotism

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With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from Reddit.com. All rights reserved worldwide.

One afternoon in February last year, I was travelling in a bus when I saw an airplane ascend to the skies. I have always longed to fly in a plane again since my last aircraft ride in April 1999, but on that afternoon last year as I sat in the moving bus, I didn't see much difference between travelling in a bus and riding in a plane.

Later on, it dawned on me that there also isn't much difference between living in Kenya, my motherland, and living in America, that fabled land of freedom and opportunity. And how I have longed to travel to America!

When I was in high school at Starehe Boys' Centre, I secretly wished to be among the three students that were to be selected in 2004 to attend a conference in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It depressed me when I didn't make the cut.

And when I proceeded to Starehe Institute in 2006, I developed a burning desire to pursue my university education in America. That desire had me apply to several top American colleges on three application rounds. I wasn't accepted into any of the colleges, another depressing experience.

Still obsessed with the dream of visiting America, I tried several schemes to make my dream a reality. At one time, I sent a letter to the U.S. State Department, telling it how I have always envied America. Nobody in the department bothered to reply to my letter which I sent via snail mail.

Then in 2013 when I heard that the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has a library that is open to the public, I went to the library several times, all the while hoping I would get an opportunity to fly to America. My interactions with the library staff never led to such an opportunity.

But something happened in late 2013 that I thought would finally open a door for me to visit America. The Obama administration started a program called Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) through which selected promising Africans would attend training in the United States.

Eager to land in America, I applied for the program. I put in a lot of effort in crafting compelling essays and recommendation letters. And to make my application stand out, I exaggerated some of my achievements. My hopes came to a disappointing end when I was not accepted to be part of the YALI program.

That was vintage me when I wanted to visit America more than I wanted to know God. Now that I have realized there isn't much difference between living in America and living in Kenya, I wonder why I made my dream of living in America so central to my thinking that I forfeited the opportunities I had here in Kenya.

Honestly, living in America isn't any special. For you see, people in America have to work, sometimes under difficult bosses. They also get sick or involved in accidents. And just like in Kenya, there are thieves, fraudsters, alcoholics, prostitutes and drug addicts in America.

My thoughts that there is nothing special about living in America were confirmed recently when I read in the newspaper of a Texas-born black American who was applying for Kenyan citizenship. From the newspaper report, I could tell the American liked Kenya more than he did America.

Those citizens of Third World nations who win the green card lottery to live in America probably undergo the same experience I had in 2002 when I was admitted to Starehe Boys' Centre, then Kenya's top-ranked high school. I felt so mightily proud to be a Starehian that when we broke for my first half-term holiday, I craved to be seen clad in the Starehe uniform of red and blue.

But my excitement about being a Starehian waned as the months rolled by. I am sure the academic rigor of the school, the overshadowing brilliance of my fellow schoolmates and the criticism I faced for being confused played a part in diminishing my pride of being a Starehe student.

In the same way I felt mightily proud to join Starehe, citizens of Third World nations arrive in America eager to live in that land of freedom and opportunity. I am sure for most of them, their excitement wanes as they discover that America is just like many other nations. There are laws to be obeyed, traffic jams to be endured and toxic people to deal with.

And then there are the forces of nature to be grappled with: the hurricanes in Texas, the wildfires in California, the biting winters of New England states and the floods in Midwestern states.

Having realized America isn't that special, I am striving to cultivate a spirit of patriotism in me. I want to love my country Kenya: its warm climate and beautiful landscapes. And I am forming the habit of praying for our leaders, that God may instill them with wisdom and knowledge to govern us ably so that we may dwell in unity, peace and liberty.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on cultivating patriotism, you might also enjoy another one on "Kenya: A Blessed Land" which I wrote a couple of years ago. Just click on 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
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

  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.


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

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

  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)