Simply nice and meaningful.

As i was reading some magazine i came across this story written by an unknown author and thought why not share it.
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Once upon a time all feelings and emotions went to a coastal island for a vacation. According to their nature, each was having a good time. Suddenly, a warning of an impending storm was announced and everyone was advised to evacuate the island.

The announcement caused sudden panic. All rushed to their boats. Even damaged boats were quickly repaired and commissioned for duty.

Yet, Love did not wish to flee quickly. There was so much to do. But as the clouds darkened, Love realized it was time to leave. Alas, there were no boats to spare. Love looked around with hope.

Just then Prosperity passed by in a luxurious boat. Love shouted, “Prosperity, could you please take me in your boat?” “No,” replied Prosperity, “my boat is full of precious possessions, gold and silver. There is no place for you.”

A little later Vanity came by in a beautiful boat. Again Love shouted, “Could you help me, Vanity? I am stranded and need a lift. Please take me with you.” Vanity responded haughtily, “No, I cannot take you with me. My boat will get soiled with your muddy feet.”

Sorrow passed by after some time. Again, Love asked for help. But it was to no avail. “No, I cannot take you with me. I am so sad. I want to be by myself.” When Happiness passed by a few minutes later, Love again called for help. But Happiness was so happy that it did not look around, hardly concerned about anyone.

Love was growing restless and dejected. Just then somebody called out, “Come Love, I will take you with me.” Love did not know who was being so magnanimous, but jumped on to the boat, greatly relieved that she would reach a safe place.

On getting off the boat, Love met Knowledge. Puzzled, Love inquired, “Knowledge, do you know who so generously gave me a lift just when no one else wished to help?”

Knowledge smiled, “Oh, that was Time.”

“And why would Time stop to pick me and take me to safety?” Love wondered.

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and replied, “Because only Time knows your true greatness and what you are capable of. Only Love can bring peace and great happiness in this world.”

“The important message is that when we are prosperous, we overlook love. When we feel important, we forget love. Even in happiness and sorrow we forget love. Only with time do we realize the importance of love. Why wait that long? Why not make love a part of your life today?”

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IT IS TIME

 

                        He has made everything beautiful in its time,
also He has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out
the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.
 Ecclesiastes 3:11

   Life is all about timing...the
unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable becomes available, the unattainable...attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. Its all about timing.

                                                                                                         Stacey Charter.

           This is our year of Divine Positioning. Expectant. Excited. Anticipating. Words that describe how many of us feel after hearing the Word of the Lord. But wait there's another word. Tired. "What??"some of you ask. How many times have your heard it said "Its your time" ? How long have you waited for the dreams that you have held dear to your heart to become a reality? Their fulfillment seems to be elusive and you are teetering at the edge of giving up. Your thoughts plagued by the hopelessness that threatens your faith.

                Our Father, our God is not a liar. Neither is He a fickle human being,promising one thing and doing another. When He says it, He means it. And when He means it, He says it. Your life is not a happenstance,a chance, a-by-the-way. It is perfectly ordered for, ordained for and planned for - Psalm 139:16, Acts 17:24-28. The very same God that put the stars into place, spins the planets in their
axis', He knows you by name.

                 What do you do then when it looks like no matter what you do, the promises of God are a dream away, unattainable and  unreachable?

(1) You trust - "Yeah right!!" some may say. "Why bother?" others may
ask. While you wait, you trust. You take Him at His Word,you believe
it and and you will see the fulfillment of His promises. - 2nd
Corinthians 7:1

(2) Keep your side of the deal - You are His child, His sheep, His
charge. He is your God, your Father, your provider. Don't try to do
His job for Him, He is quite capable and He will keep His promises.

(3) Live your faith a day at a time -  Seek the strength that you need
form His Word. Pursue after Him as you are combing through the
scriptures. Let your heart melt at the goodness of the Lord.

(4) Make praise your weapon - When it is hard to praise, do it anyway!
You  will begin to feel uplifted and you will have your focus
redirected to the One deserving your praise. Use it unashamedly. Use
it unreservedly. Use it apologetically. Use it. Praise your way
through. - Psalm 34:1

(5) Decree and declare - Speak His Word to yourself and back to Him.
Proclaim the finish before you get there. This takes the tenacity and
a 'don't-give-in,won't-give-in' attitude. He spoke it and it was -
Genesis 1:3,6,9. Do the same and it will be - Psalm 103:20.

                                           From Pasi,JCC Thika.

You are exclusive

Think what a remarkable, unduplicatable, and miraculous thing it is to be you! Of all the people who have come and gone on the earth, since the beginning of time, not ONE of them is like YOU!

No one who has ever lived or is to come has had your combination of abilities, talents, appearance, friends, acquaintances, burdens, sorrows and opportunities.

No one’s hair grows exactly the way yours does. No one’s finger prints are like yours. No one has the same combination of secret inside jokes and family expressions that you know.

The few people who laugh at all the same things you do, don’t sneeze the way you do. No one prays about exactly the same concerns as you do. No one is loved by the same combination of people that love you – NO ONE!

No one before, no one to come. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE!

Enjoy that uniqueness. You do not have to pretend in order to seem more like someone else. You weren’t meant to be like someone else. You do not have to lie to conceal the parts of you that are not like what you see in anyone else.

You were meant to be different. Nowhere ever in all of history will the same things be going on in anyone’s mind, soul and spirit as are going on in yours right now.If you did not exist, there would be a hole in creation, a gap in history, something missing from the plan for humankind.

Treasure your uniqueness. It is a gift given only to you. Enjoy it and share it!

No one can reach out to others in the same way that you can. No one can speak your words. No one can convey your meanings. No one can comfort with your kind of comfort. No one can bring your kind of understanding to another person.

No one can be cheerful and lighthearted and joyous in your way. No one can smile your smile. No one else can bring the whole unique impact of you to another human being.Share your uniqueness. Let it be free to flow out among your family and friends and people you meet in the rush and clutter of living wherever you are. That gift of yourself was given you to enjoy and share.

See it! Receive it! Let it tickle you! Let it inform you and nudge you and inspire you! YOU ARE UNIQUE!

Don't Hope,decide.

While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in JKIA,Marvin  had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about. This one occurred a mere two feet away from him.

Straining to locate his friend among the passengers walking through the way, he noticed a man coming toward him carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to him to greet his family.

First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other’s face, he heard the father say, “It’s so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!” His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, “Me, too, Dad!”

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son’s face in his hands said, “You’re already quite the young man. I love you very much, Tim!” They too hugged a most loving, tender hug.

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was jumping excitedly in her mother’s arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, “Hi, baby girl!” as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her forehead and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, “I’ve saved the best for last!” and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate hug he ever remembered seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. “I love you ,honey!” They stared at each other’s eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands.

For an instant they reminded him of newlyweds, but he knew by the age of their kids that they couldn’t possibly be. He puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed he was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm’s length away from him. He suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if he was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear his own voice nervously ask, “Wow! How long have you two been married?

“Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those.” he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife’s face. “Well then, how long have you been away?” he asked. The man finally turned and looked at him, still beaming his joyous smile. “Two whole days!”

Two days? He was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, he had assumed he’d been gone for at least several weeks – if not months. He knew his expression betrayed him.

He said almost offhandedly, hoping to end his intrusion with some air of grace (and to get back to searching for his friend), “I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!”

The man suddenly stopped smiling.

He looked him straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into his soul, he told him something that left him a different person. He told him, “Don’t hope, friend… decide!” Then he flashed him his wonderful smile again, shook his hand and said, “God bless!”

Ngong Hills : In Awe of Mother nature

Taking Responsibility

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Jeremiah 17:10

One of man's greatest failings is that he looks almost always for an excuse in the misfortune that befalls him through his own fault, before looking for a remedy - which means he often finds the remedy too late.
Cardinal de Retz.

             I couldn't say 'amen!' so I said 'ouch!'. The fiery preacher had just burst my bubble by saying, " You are the sum total of your decisions therefore you are where you are in life by choice." He went further to add that, apart from those things classified as calamities or catastrophes beyond our control e.g Cancer, the loss of a loved one etc, we are wired to weigh matters and make decisions that produce good success in our lives, edify others and ultimately glorify God. His point? Most of the things we moan, cry, murmur and complain about are products of our own failings. Its time to quit playing the blame game where everyone and everything apart from us have contributed to our misery and accept responsibility for our lives.

How can we do that in this year ?

[1] Accept - It may sound obvious but it is not. Unless you accept that something needs to be done and fast BY YOU,nothing will change and you'll continue in a mediocre existence.

[2] Evaluate - To evaluate is to reflect, analyse and take stock. You have to be brutally honest with yourself about the areas need to take responsibility in.

[3] Plan - Planning enables us to put structure into our thoughts. It highlights what we need to get the job done. It allows us to formulate a beginning, a middle and end of our journey towards change. Your plan must include checks and balances or a sort of accountability system that will ensure you don't chicken out at the first sign of resistance.

[4] Execute - The rubber must meet the road for the journey to begin. Following your plan will be the key to keep you on track and overcome hurdles on the way.

             A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Put your best foot forward and be on your way! After all, you are divinely positioned for success.

Mama's Release

It is the morning of my mother's release. Grandmama bustles around the kitchen like a little bird. Grandmama is never still, she's like a bird that has to keep on flying. She is always cooking, or cleaning, or talking on the phone or something. The only time she's still is when she falls asleep in front of the tv before she goes to bed. It's obvious she's nervous because she's moving around more than usual. I pick at my breakfast, uncomfortable in my dress and new shoes and irritable.

     "Stop playing with your oatmeal,young girl, just eat it."

     "Okay, Grandmama." I make little patterns with my spoon. I hate eating especially on this day.

     "Vic, mind you don't get any on your dress."

     "Yes, Grandmama."

     She sips her strong tea while standing at the sink, gazing at me over her cup. I glare at my bowl; I hate being looked at.

     "You look just like your mother did at your age. Skinny, quiet little thing. She was so sweet. Funny, how things can get ruined. Your mother was so innocent, too innocent really. That was probably my fault. And when she took up with that boy I should have known something wasn't right, but I just . . . . well, anyway . . . . "

     I don't say anything, preferring to create hills and valleys in my bowl of uji.

     She sighs. "Young girl, just put it in the sink and go on."

     "Yes, Grandmama."

     I go outside and sit on the front steps, waiting for Grandmama to finish getting ready. Sometimes it's hard for me to think about things in the moment. Like, now, I am thinking of how pretty Grandmama looked in the kitchen a few minutes ago, in her flowered dress, the light from the kitchen window touching her white hair. I am thinking about the years we've spent together, just her and me. It was nice, just the two of us. When I was younger, Grandmama would take me to the park for hours because she said that little girls need lots of sun to grow right. Like I was a plant or something. I am thinking about love, and utopia, and family and the aching hole inside. I wonder if my mother didn't get enough sun. Right now I want to know her, very badly. But I'm scared.

UTOPIA

My mother is a heroine addict who got sent to prison for selling drugs in school compounds. My father was a heroine addict, too, but he's dead now. I was born addicted to the junk, and sometimes, deep down, I feel like I'll always be a heroine addict, always have a gaping hole inside needing to be filled. Sometimes I hurt so bad, feel so empty, and I just want something, anything to fill me up or make me forget. That's how it is, being me. I guess that my mother felt bad for a long time, that's why she started doing drugs. Except knowing this doesn't make me feel any closer to her. Gazing at the watermarks on the ceiling, I wonder what it would feel like to be expectant. Not so alone, probably. Loved. But I also wonder how something like a baby could fit into someone like me.

My grandma won't let me wear make-up, so I wait until I am down the street before I pull out my kit and put it on under a tree. I am basically a good kid, obedient, respectful, but things are changing inside, I feel all confused most of the time now. I want to be a responsible woman, grown. I walk over to Weko's house. Weko's mother isn't home so we have the place to ourselves. Weko's mother is hardly ever home. We get high with some weed Weko got from her brother and sit out on her front bench, sipping the toxic stuff and talking. Two girls sitting on some steps, helpless against the sun pressing down, wilting slightly. Will we live? We're women, wrapped up in little girls. Right now I am happy because Weko likes my outfit; I just got it the day before. I stole it from Mama Kim boutique. One of the reasons that we are best friends is that she notices things about me, little things, not just my lipstick, but different moods and things. Paying attention goes a long way in friendships.

"What do you want to be when you grow up, Mouse?"  

I shrug. "I don't know." Because how can I say that I don't want to be anything, except alive, and loved? I don't like the question, it makes me uncomfortable. Sometimes I wonder if I'll be alive after high school. "Maybe a lawyer." 

Weko nods. "Yeah, that's cool. I think I want to be a dancer."

We don't say anything for a little while.None of us sure if the future actually holds any hope for us.
 
I mutter."That's a good one." We are silent again and I look out into the street, catching pieces of life, but not the whole thing, scraped knees, the sound of a baby crying, car engines, deep laughter. It's hot. "Utopia" is my word. I taste it on the tip of my tongue. It's a good word. It fits.

I LOVE THIS