Fear not

When everything goes at a supersonic speed and life is getting harder and harder. Challenges that confront us every day. Fear engulfs us and paralyses us. We are like an animal in the middle of the road at night, an on coming vehicle fast approaching.
Many people claim that the phrase 'do not be afraid' appears 365 times in the bible. This makes a fear not for every waking day.
So why do people fear? what do people fear? Most people have what is called the fear of the unknown.People are worried and overwhelmed by a deep fear. A fear that they cannot put a finger to.
The bible tells us to fear not, for He who created us is with us. In the darkest hour, when we fill as if we are alone, God is there with us to comfort us.
Fear of the unknown is called xenophobia. This is a fear of anything that is beyond ones comfort zone. People naturally tend to oppose change. Whenever change comes they recoil into their cocoons.
What do people fear most? I quote Maryanne Williamson who very accurately spelled out what our deepest fears are. She said and i quote “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
 Today purpose to FEAR NOT!!

There is a light at the end of the tunnel

Friday 10th April 2015.......

Sombre moods, desperation, frustrations. What are we going to do? our enemies surround us from all the corners. They are armed to the teeth, baying for our blood. Their weapons look more sophisticated than ours, they sound so too. What shall we do? Shall we chicken out? Shall we surrender? Should we?
The good book tells us in psalms 124:2 "Had it not been the LORD who was on our side When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their anger was kindled against us; Then the waters would have engulfed us, The stream would have swept over our soul;
I rejoice in knowing that there is a way out, a light at the end of the tunnel. This may just be the kind of message that a mother who heard her daughter been shot over the phone needs to hear. The enemy has not worn, the enemy is a coward. To that mother I say, look at Mathew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Though the night seems dark, day break is coming. Weeping may endure for a night but great rejoicing awaits us in the morning. Some trust in horses and yet others trust in their chariots, but we shall trust in the name of our God.
It is Friday..... fondly referred to as furahi day or TGIF. Spare a thought for our dear departed. Spread the gospel of hash tag 147 not just a number. Relieve the horrible last moments of young ladies and gentlemen. Who died horrible terrified deaths from terrorists guns. After that just know that our dawn is coming. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Let peace prevail.

The Chief of Ngunyumu and the sputum fiasco

April 9th 2015.....

Sleep escaped me at 2 am. I have been having this stubborn cough that refuses to go and attacks me always at night or early mornings. I remembered the story of the chief of Ngunyumu and a spitum  collection exercise that went horribly bad.
Chief Runyenjenjes was a man obsessed with cleanliness. He wanted everything to be spotless. Even in his house everything had just to be right. No dusty seats and everything was where it was supposed to be. Whenever guests visited his house, his wife would come out with a polythene bag and ask them to deposit their shoes and socks inside it. The guests would then proceed into the house barefoot. Meanwhile the domestic servant would be ordered to clean the guests shoes thoroughly.
The chief wanted his chiefdom to be the cleanest. But still there were things that were done that did not please him. One of them was the habit of spitting saliva and sputum anywhere the villagers wished. The chief racked his brains for a solution to this problem for days on end. One night he experienced a eureka moment. Yes!!!! he shouted as he lay in his bed with his wife. What is it? asked her wife. The chief explained to the wife that he had finally come up with a solution for the problem that had stalked him for almost a month.
The following day he called for a meeting for all the residents of his village. They came from all corners of the village to listen to their leader, chief Runyenjenjes. The chief ordered for a large tank to be erected at the middle of the market. The tank was to be constructed with stones and cemented, yes a septic tank. All the villagers were awed at the brilliance of their leader and anticipated a relief to their water woes. The tank took a whole month to construct, and the chief called yet another meeting to explain to the villagers the purpose of the gigantic tank.
The chief smiling from ear to ear announced that the new project was to solve the problem of people spitting saliva and sputum all over the chiefdom. Any person found spitting saliva or sputum anywhere else apart from the designated tank would be put into prison. Chief Runyenjenjes ordered the law enforcers to make sure that his order is adhered to.
It takes time to kill a habit and of cause several errant villagers were caught on the wrong side of the law. But for the majority of the villagers the law was followed to the tee. Soon, the tank in the great village of Ngunyumu was almost filling up to the brim with saliva and spitum.
To celebrate the auspicious occasion of cleanliness in the chiefdom, the chief called yet another mammoth meeting. In this meeting the chief himself would demonstrate his involvement in the whole exercise by depositing his  sputum into the tank to indicate closure. So the chief cleared his throat and searched for some good quality sputum. grrrrrghhhhh....... ptuuuuuh he spat! But the sputum did not completely come off so he thought he would take it back in so that he could spit it out properly. When he tried taking it back in, it collected all the sputum and saliva that had been collected for the last one month. The chief sucked the whole project inside his stomach! The wife could not believe what she was seeing. The villagers fleed from the tank fearing that the chief would explode. Many women fell sick at the sight of Chief runyenjenjes taking in all the saliva he had ordered to be collected. The chief's stomach got so huge and he died.

Chief Runyenjenjes is fictional
Ngunyumu is also fictional

Please, if you ever felt like spitting saliva or sputum when in the middle of town, don't. The spirit of chief Runyenjenjes of the Ngunyumu Chiefdom might posses you.

Unleash the giant within you

Many of us walk through life everyday in a dejected, negative and defeated mindset. Some people have already given up and are just waiting for death to come and take them away. Growing upThe first two choruses in Mariah Carey's song hero inspir ed me every time I heard them.
There is a hero, if you look inside your heart. You dont have to be afraid of what you are.There is an answer, if you look into your soul, you dont have to fear what your are. And the hero comes along, the hero within you, with a strength to carry on. Then you cast your fears aside, and at that very moment you know you can survive. So whenever you feel as if if hope is gone, look inside of you and be strong.
Everything that you need in this life is inside you. God did not create failures. He put talents that will catapult us to greater heights and cause us to mingle with kings. Proverbs 18:16 a man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.
We run around, bound by the captivity of our negativity. This is a prison, only that it is not walled. The walls are invisible, they are in our minds. We need to free ourselves from negative attitudes and embrace thoughts that will awaken the sleeping giants within ourselves. It is said that the richest places on earth are the cemeteries. Therein lies dreams from people who died without achieving them. Best sellers that were never penned down. Great companies that were never opened, songs never written. The famous author George Bernard Shaw wrote; Some people see things as they are and say 'why'?  I dream of  things that never were and say 'why not'? Today I purpose not to put aside this task. I shall not procrastinate anymore. I shall arise and break the chains of bondage and captivity of negativity. I chose today to live right and not to allow stress to eat me up slowly from within. I purpose to release and unleash the giant that has been sleeping inside of me.

Do not be anxious

Anxiety is one of the human emotions that can lead to psychological problems including depression. As I face the day this beautiful Tuesday morning. I realize how often anxiety catches up with me, especially on a new week. The week being new presents a hosts of challenges. Clients to meet, deadlines to be met, targets to be reached. Office set up also provides its own sets of challenges which can  lead to anxiety. There is that odd person that you are not really getting along with.
The bible is very clear on how it addresses anxiety issues. Philippians 4:6 tells us. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Often we worry about things that are beyond us. Worry and anxiety are very close cousins. These two are not good for a persons well being and personal growth.
The bible again addresses the issue of fear in Luke 12:22 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life ? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 
I was just thinking as I start the fresh week about some of the things that makes us anxious;
We worry a lot about our jobs, families and businesses. What will happen if i lose my job today? will I be able to pay my rent? will my children complete their education? How will I retire? will i be able to pay for my medical bills? What will I eat? 
God says to us that He owns all the gold and all the silver, and a cattle in a thousand hills.
This week as you face the myriad of challenges; just remember that God has you covered. You are His child and He knows you better than you know yourself.

 

Natural Alam clocks

Monday 6th April 2015.....

Woke up with a start. I thought I had been dreaming. A woman was screaming at the top of her voice. Woooooiiii!!! Wooooiii!! I tried to ignore. The screaming went on and on. It has been a while since I was woken by screams. In this part of  town, it is not unusual. We actually call them natural alarm timers. Mostly it happens on Sunday mornings. Husbands and wives bear their dirty linen in public, for all to see. I finally pull myself out of bed and open my door so that I can have a glimpse of what is happening. A good number of my neighbors are already out, all of them with sleepy eyes. The women are in their night gowns, others with lesos only. Most of the men are in boxers. You can tell that a lot of lovemaking has been interrupted. I live on the third floor so I have a bird's eye view of what is causing all the commotion.The woman who has been screaming is confronting her husband who operates a Chapati and Mandazi business by the roadside. She is throwing all manner of insults at him. From what I gather bin the argument, she has helped finance the business and she is the one who is currently keeping the family afloat. The man on the other hand has been busy seducing young girls and sleeping with them, spending all the money he makes on them.Well, hell has no fury like a woman scorned. The woman spilled all the beans right there, in front of the multitude of neighbors. All the bedroom secrets were laid bare including the Man's lack of some very necessary techniques.
Well, this is what cut short my holiday sleep this Easter Monday morning. This would definitely give me a headache for the better part of the day.
I remembered some years back when I was still living in my mothers house. Something bizzare happened one day. Those days we lived in flats just as I am living in a flat today. Our house though was on the ground floor. There used to be a neighbor who loved his privacy excessively. He live in one of the houses that stood alone opposite the flats. Those had fences, but children still managed to cross over to his compound and play. He disliked that a lot. So unknown to the rest of the neighborhood, he secretly connected electricity to the fence. Why he did that knowing that children will touch the fence while playing, I will never comprehend.
On the fateful night on of the youthful neighbors was coming from town at night after partying with friends. When the taxi he was in reached near this particular house, it couldn't pass because it had rained heavily that night and there was mad all over . The young man told the taxi driver to drop him off near that house, since the distance remaining was very small. When the young man tried to pass near the house, he slipped and supported  himself on the fence.He got electrocuted and no one was there to help him since the taxi had already left.
The following morning, as was my routine on Saturday mornings I seriously asleep. I was very far in dreamland, dreaming about the ugali and nyama I had demolished the previous night. Someone was shaking me vigorously. Dan!! Dan!!! come and see, there is a dead man outside!! I woke up with a start. It was my sister. I shook her off angrily. How can you wake someone up from a deep sleep and the first words you tell him are, come see a dead person outside. I warned her never ever to wake me up like that again.
Outside, the whole neighborhood was watching..... The young man slumped lifeless on the fence. The people were baying for the house owner's blood. What could be of more value than a human life that he was hiding in his house.
Drama has always been part of me...... growing up.... and now.

Create In me a new heart

Sunday April 5th 2015....

The rains are here with us. They bring with them blessings and havoc at the same time. Parts of the country have been hit really badly by the floods. There are reports of people dying from floods. This is sad especially since ironically many have been waiting for the same rains so that they can plant seeds. Seeds of faith in readiness for a bumper harvest later in the year.
It has been a black Easter holiday for Kenyans. The president announced a three day mourning period. All flags will fly at half mast. This is in remembrance of the 148 Kenyans who died in one of the worst terror attacks in recent times. The president in a state of the Nation address said that Kenya remains unbowed by the terrorists. We shall remain relentless even in the face terror that has been brought to our  doorsteps. One issue that has been the talk of everyone is whether Kenya will remove its troops from Somalia. Opposition leader Raila Odinga says that The country should begin a tactful withdrawal of troops from Somalia to curb any further terrorist attacks. But some people are of the contrary opinion. Withdrawing Kenyan troops from Somalia would be tantamount to cowardice.
These are but some of the thoughts that are occupying my head as a raise from my head this wet Sunday morning. I say my morning prayers..... Fast and furious as I usually do, I think I should change this. Clothes pile on my one sofa. I have been postponing the laundry for the past two days. Today I must wash..... If I have to look smart in the week to come. As I wash the dirty clothes I say a prayer; a prayer that King David prayed to God. Psalms 51:10 David asks God to create in him a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within him. David had committed a sin that he wanted God to purge. As I wash the clothes and watch them getting clean, I pray that God would cleanse me and give me a second chance. A chance to be all that He created me to be.

Hope against Hope

April 4th 2015....... Saturday. It is a lazy day. Recovering from my past week. I had been waking up at 4 pm daily so that I make it to the office by 7 am. My abode is far and is prone to daily traffic jams. There were important meetings that I needed to be in, on time. The brain is a very intriguing part of a human being's anatomy. From Monday till Thursday it had been a tedious task just to wake up. I set my alarm to wake me up at 4.30 am. I then proceed to snooze the alarm till 5.30 am. But on this Saturday, I wake up automatically without any alarm, at 4.30 am. I then have to struggle to force some sleep into my eyes. Very strange.
Life is full of high risks. Waking up in Kenya is already risky. You don't know where the next AL-shabab militia will hit. Already the government has confirmed that 142 innocent students of Garissa University died from the Thursday attack. Twenty of them were Christian Union Members who were killed while praying. God rest their souls inb eternal peace. Three policemen were killed in the line of duty. What an honor it is to die while defending ones country. I was born in Kenya. I dont know any other country. Kenya feeds me, clothes me. Kenya is my motherland. I love my motherland. I shall defend my motherland.
Today I am hopeful; You see hope is the only weapon that can conquer fear. I am hopeful for a better tomorrow. A tomorrow full of God's blessings. A tomorrow where brother does not raise a sword against brother. A future that sons bury their fathers and not the other way round.And so I hope. This is the only thing keeping some of us alive right now. That single mother with two sons to feed and no income. Who wakes up every morning without knowing how to feed the boys. But God in his own supernatural way always provides daily for them.

This day I purpose to uphold my hope. Keep hope going, keep hope alive, keep the flame burning. This might be my only hope for a better day tomorrow.

Still dreaming

April 3rd 2015...... It is a Friday, and a holiday for that matter. It is good Friday the day when Christians all over the world celebrate the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary and on the third day He rose from the death. You see, I was raised by a devout Christian mother who taught me all these things. I am not leaving them. I am a believer. I woke up with a heavy heart. Even though we are celebrating the shedding of blood at Calvary more than 2000 years ago, Kenya my beloved country experienced a bloodbath yesterday in Garissa. One hundred and forty seven innocent university students had their lives cut short when terrorists invaded their college and opened fire indiscriminately. I can just imagine the terror that gripped the young men and women as they scampered for safety others still trying to wake up from deep slumber. I concur with my president, we shall not be bowed: we remain steadfast. I pledge my loyalty to the president and nation of Kenya. My readiness and duty to defend the flag of our republic.My devotion to the words of our National anthem.My life and strength in the task of our nation's building. In the living spirit embodied in our national motto- Harambee! and perpetuated in the nyayo philosophy of peace love and unity.
Growing up back in my hometown Nakuru, we said those words every Friday during parade at school. Back then they did not mean much, but now they have been stamped in my heart and I am here stumping my chest. Ready to die for my country. You see, those we fight against are not afraid of death. There is no trace of fear in their eyes. Let us all as Kenyans support our president Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, and his deputy William Samoei Ruto and the Cabinet secretary in charge of internal security retired general Joseph Nkaiserry. Honorable Nkaiserry is a Geneneral. He has this covered.