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


Believing in the Bible More

A True Story
by
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from the Billy Graham Library. All rights reserved worldwide.

All along my reading journey, I have come across inspiring insights. Some of the insights have guided me on how to go about my life. It seems numerous people who have made it in life have left tips on how others could succeed too. Man, that's awesome!

What is even more awesome is that God Himself, our Creator, also wrote tips on how to lead a fruitful life. His tips are compiled in one hefty book known as the Bible. (Oh, there I go again - talking about the Word of God!)

Now, I used to wonder where the Bible stands among all the knowledge we acquire in school, knowledge such as calculus, geography and accounting. I think I have found the answer to my curiosity. And it is that the Bible has the knowledge which makes advancement in other fields of knowledge possible.

You see, the Bible extols such virtues as love, faith and hope. Those virtues, I have realized, have been the driving force of all people who have come up with the knowledge we acquire in school. That's why biblical knowledge reigns supreme.

But you know what? For me, the Bible hasn't excited me as much as some self-help books have. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my soul, I have trusted the wisdom of my fellow human beings more than that of God. Does that sound like you as well?

Let's face it: the Bible isn't an easy book for beginners to digest. Some of its books are hard to understand, especially the book of Revelation. An even harder task is believing the wonderful promises in the Bible, what with all the challenges we go through and the bad news we are constantly bombarded with.

Fortunately for me, I have discovered the key to believing the wonderful promises in the Bible is by first contemplating the obvious issues the Bible addresses, like anger, divorce, alcoholism and oversleeping, and then realizing that if the Bible tackles those issues, then it must be speaking the truth when it promises us, believers, that God has good plans for our lives.

The wonderful promises in the Bible have a way of giving us peace in times of toiling. And they can help us rise above the petty conflicts and worries that litter our everyday living. Here are my favorite promises:
"I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed." (Isaiah 49:23)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good." (Romans 8:28)
Those wonderful promises explain why I have made it a goal to believe in the Bible more deeply as the inerrant Word of God. I can honestly say pursuing that goal has moulded me into a more hopeful, peaceful and clear-headed young man.

Having seen the usefulness of the Bible, I desire to find it as exciting as some self-help books . That's why I have taken to reading it like the way many old people do. Not an unwise thing for you to do as well, my beloved reader!

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on believing in the Bible more, you might also enjoy another one on "Lessons From the Bible" 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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Finding Identity in Christ

A True Story
by Thuita J. Maina
on Nov 22, 2024
Copyright ©
Picture related to the title of the story
With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from A Reason for Hope. All rights reserved worldwide.

In their search for identity, purpose and belonging, many young people fall into bad company and try to fit in. As a result, they end up engaging in such destructive activities as smoking, drinking and having premarital sex.

I also found myself desiring to fit in when I was a young adult. Luckily for me, I tried to fit in a choir that held God and the Bible in high regard. Boy, didn't I pray, read the Bible and memorize some hymns!

Looking back, I am glad that I joined the choir at that critical stage of my life. I was a confused young adult then, lacking a clear understanding of who I was and what I stood for. Had I not joined the choir, only heaven knows what company I would have sought.

Joining the choir made me get acquainted with the gospel of Christ. I kinda liked the gospel and came to be attracted to anything that had to do with Christ. In 2015 for instance, I would stop by a certain stall and walk away with copies of "Awake!" and "Watchtower", magazines that are provided for free by Jehovah's Witnesses.

All along though, I was ashamed of talking openly about Christ. I especially steered clear of saying "I am saved". Something about that statement made me dislike it.

Not surprisingly, I avoided adding quotes about Christ in the list of quotations that appear, one at a time, on the pop-up that opens when you load this blog. And that's even after God helped me create the pop-up.

My shame of identifying with Jesus Christ reminds me of the apostle Peter, the most beloved disciple of Jesus. When Jesus was being persecuted, Peter claimed - not once, not twice, but thrice - that he didn't know Him.

Recently, something terrible happened to me that radically made me a bold follower of Christ. On the weekend that terrible thing happened, I renamed the title of a past story on this blog to "Jesus: the One and Only" and re-shared it on social media.

Since then, I have grown to love Christ in whom all knowledge and wisdom are hidden. As a matter of fact, I have added to my list of quotations numerous quotes about Christ, including this one by Karl Barth:
Jesus Christ, as He is attested to us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God whom we have to hear, and whom we have to trust and obey in life and in death.
So many forces have been competing to have dominion over me. I am glad that Christ has finally won the victory. If you were to ask me whether I am saved, my answer would now be a quick emphatic "yes!".

Now that I have established a relationship with Christ, I am becoming more and more like Him: wise, humble, bold, kind and compassionate. By becoming more and more like Christ, I have found my identity and gained a clear understanding of who I am and what I stand for.

Well, there are some issues I am still struggling with, but the far Christ has brought me makes me trust that He will be with me in the future, come hell or high water, as He promises all believers. That's all I am saying. Sayonara!

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on finding identity in Christ, you might also enjoy another one on "Jesus: the One and Only" which I wrote a few years ago. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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Latest Stories

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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 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

  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. Computers & Radios
  6. Anesthetics
  7. 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

  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)