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Cock And Bull
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10:36
From: Cock And Bull
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Here is a thought provoking email forward I received from a friend that I would like to share with you:
The Scout’s Prayer
My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and “give it all to dad.” That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young, eager son.
The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed. Finally, mom stepped in to see if I could figure this all out. The project began. Having no carpentry skills, I decided it would be best if I simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. I read the measurements aloud, the rules of what we could do and what we couldn’t do. Within days his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car. A little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of mom).
Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids cars and was feeling pretty proud of his “Blue Lightning,” the pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own. Then the big night came. With his blue pinewood derby in his hand and pride in his heart we headed to the big race. Once there my little one’s pride turned to humility. Gilbert’s car was obviously the only car made entirely on his own. All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed. A few of the boys giggled as they looked at Gilbert’s, lopsided, wobbly, unattractive vehicle.
As the race began it was done in elimination fashion. You kept racing as long as you were the winner. One by one the cars raced down the finely sanded ramp. Finally it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there. As the last race was about to begin, my wide-eyed, shy, eight-year-old asked if they could stop the race for a minute, because he wanted to pray. The race stopped. Gilbert hit his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled brow he set to converse with his Father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he stood, smile on his face and announced, “Okay, I am ready.”
As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp. Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed and rushed over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy’s car. Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud “Thank you” as the crowd roared in approval.
The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, “So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?” To which my young son answered, “Oh, no sir. That wouldn’t be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I don’t cry when I lose.”
Children seem to have a wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn’t ask God to win the race, he didn’t ask God to fix the outcome, Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome. When Gilbert first saw the other cars he didn’t cry out to God, “No fair, they had a father’s help.” No, he went to his Father for strength. Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one, or too much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God’s strength to get through the struggle. [”I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13]
Gilbert’s simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn’t pray to win, and thus hurt someone else, he prayed that God supply the grace to lose with dignity. Gilbert, by his stopping the race to speak to his Father also showed the crowd that he wasn’t there without a “dad,” but His Father was most definitely there with him. Yes, Gilbert walked away a winner that night, with his Father at his side.
- Author unknown
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4:38
From: Cock And Bull
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I remember the day my grandfather’s black and white cow gave birth. I was probably 6 or 7 years old and having been raised on a farm, I already knew how baby cows, goats, and rabbits come into the world. The birth was difficult and the black and white cow had paced up and down for a long time with the membrane housing the calf dangling from under its tail. It finally went down on its knees and lay down on its side while puffing loudly and occasionally giving a low mooing sound. All the while, my grandfather and I were waiting patiently for nature to take its course. Eventually the calf’s tiny front hooves followed by a delicate muzzle appeared from the heaving cow’s vulva, and I could tell that my grandfather was happy from his sudden chuckle.
Within a short time, he was squatting at the black and white cow’s side, gently patting its distended belly in encouragement. And when he thought the timing was right, my grandfather held on to the hooves of the tiny calf and pulled with force. As if to compliment his efforts, the black and white cow simultaneously made one mighty heave and a lowing sound and the calf gashed from the vulva, sending my grandfather tumbling backwards and covering his arms with a clear slippery liquid all the way to the elbows, in addition to splashing his clothes with gooey wetness. My grandfather looked at me with a grin to see if I was moved by the spectacle and saw that I was still standing where he had left me. Thus satisfied that the lesson in cow midwifery was coming through uninterrupted, he turned back his attention to his cows.
But then suddenly I heard him make his grunt of surprise, and I knew something was wrong. As expected, the black and white cow was struggling to stand up, but the calf lay dangerously still on its side. Immediately, my grandfather kneeled next to the calf and did something that I wouldn’t have expected. He bent his face almost all the way to the ground, opened his mouth wide open and used it to cover the calf’s muzzle. He then gave a hearty suck and with his cheeks bulging with content, spat whatever he had retrieved onto the ground. He repeated the procedure two more times and then pulled back to look at the still calf. And as if by magic, the calf started showing signs of life and within a very short time, it was on its feet with its mother carefully chaperoning its first steps in the new world.
With a happy look, my grandfather joined me while wiping his wet face with the back of his hand. And it suddenly dawned to my young mind that it was the nasty job of sucking birth liquids from the calf’s air passages that saved it from suffocating and gave it life.
At this moment, I imagine a look similar to that of my late grandfather’s on a happy Jesus, covered in grime from head to toe after struggling to rescue a human being from the miry bog of sin. And no matter how far gone, unworthy, undeserving or unlovable a person might feel right now, the Lord is there waiting for that person to ask Him into his or her life. It is when one acknowledges helplessness in steering their own lives and calls upon Jesus’ name in surrender that He knows that the moment is critical for Him to save a life, and acts.
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22:46
From: Cock And Bull
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Have you ever read or heard about the encounter between Naaman the Syrian army commander with a prophet of God whose name was Elisha? The story is told in 2 Kings Chapter 5. Naaman was a great soldier who had led the Syrian forces to great victory and was the highest ranking officer in the forces. Unfortunately, Naaman suffered from a dreaded skin disease.
One day, Naaman heard that he could be cured of his disease if he went to Israel to see Elisha the prophet who was highly acclaimed for his astounding miracles.
So Naaman went with his horse and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha’s house. And when Elisha leant that Naaman had arrived, he sent a servant out to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, and he would be completely cured of his disease. But Naaman left in a rage, saying, “I thought that he would at least come out to me, pray to the LORD his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and cure me! Besides, aren’t the rivers in Abana and Pharpar, back in Damascus, better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured!” Obviously Naaman considered his own greatness and thought that the prophet was disrespectful for dismissing him so casually.
However, his servant went to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can’t you just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured?” So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child.
The story of Naaman in the Bible reminds me of the often talked about redemption from sins through accepting Jesus Christ as savior. Jesus Christ said that this is the instantaneous solution for anyone whose heart is suffering in bondage. And yet many people whose hearts are hurting greatly today will not accept this simple solution. Whenever told about it, a person will dismiss it without trying it or giving it much thought. And yet the same person would be willing to do something more difficult – say visit a therapist for years or spend an incredible amount of money – rather than take this free cure. Ironically (and annoyingly) after everything else has failed, the followers of Jesus Christ will still insist on the same simple and free solution of salvation through accepting the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse all the sins and give a new beginning.
Are you willing to consider this solution today?
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17:42
From: Cock And Bull
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If you ever find yourself needing to spend the night in any town in Kenya on a low budget, you might end up in what we Kenyans simply refer to as a ‘Lodging’. The ‘Lodging’ is usually a building that has several sleeping rooms for travelers and any other person who might choose to spend a night away from his or her own bed. All the ‘Lodgings’ are similar and if you spend a night in one in a particular town, be assured that you might as well have sampled the ‘Lodgings’ in all the other towns in the country.
Once you pay for your room – usually just a few hundred shillings – you will be given a key attached to an oversized wooden or plastic key holder with a number written on it. The clerk will then direct you to the room whose number is the same as the one on the key holder. On unlocking the room and entering, switching on the single naked bulb on the ceiling will reveal a small room with a smell you might never have encountered before. There will be a bed at one corner and on the other corner, a small reading table with drawers and a rickety chair pushed under it. There will most probably be an ashtray with numerous burn marks on it, mounted on a huge base with the initials of the ‘Lodging’ printed on it. The bed will have freshly laundered linen and a dirty mosquito net tied on a knot, dangling from the ceiling. In the adjacent toilet cum bathroom you will find a clean towel whose snow-white days are long gone and a tiny bar of soap that is just enough to wash your whole body once. There will also be a new roll of white tissue paper next to the toilet closet. The bed linen and the towel will have the name of the ‘Lodging’ printed on them in large conspicuous letters.
Under the bed, you will find a pair of mismatched rubber flip flops (bathroom slippers) – each with a different color. You might also be surprised to find that a tiny wedge has been nipped off at the heel of the flip flops. This extraordinary flip flops will discourage anyone who might be tempted to steal them, just as printing the name of the lodging house on the linen and mounting an extra base of an ashtray will do.
Next to the bed, you will see a small bedside table. On this table it is guaranteed that you will find two items; a well sized Bible and a packet of condoms. Perhaps the person who set the ‘Lodging’ standards in Kenya assumed that anyone who spends a night at the ‘Lodging’ without having sex must be a particularly holy person. Whatever the case, as in most places in life, these two items in the ‘Lodging’ will remind you about the choices that you have to make while going through life.
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16:54
From: Cock And Bull
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The rain suddenly poured this morning when people were going to work, and many were caught unawares. I only saw a few people shielding themselves under umbrellas. If it rains tomorrow at the same time, I bet more people will have their umbrellas as they make the gloomy morning trip to town. Being that mid-March is the advent of the long rainy season in Kenya, I am sure many people are now looking for their umbrellas in their homes while others will have to purchase new ones after being caught in a storm or two.
Isn’t this just the way that many people treat God? When everything is sunny in their lives, God is safely tucked away like a faithful old umbrella or even given up altogether. When the clouds gather and the storm comes that is when they make frantic efforts to recall God into their lives with rusty prayers or search for Him with panicky repentance.
But that need not be the case. Everyone can decide to carry God around every day. You know, like that favorite handbag that acts as the bank, contains the paraphernalia for re-assuring beauty, and carries many secrets that belong to its owner. That kind of handbag is never left behind, and nor does its owner leave it unattended for long. If allowed to, God can become a friend for all seasons.
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5:20
From: Cock And Bull
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The website states:
The Secret reveals the most powerful law in the universe. The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and saviors in the world’s history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women. All that they have ever accomplished or attained has been done in full accordance with this most powerful law.
Without exception, every human being has the ability to transform any weakness or suffering into strength, power, perfect peace, health, and abundance.
Rhonda Byrne’s discovery of The Secret began with a glimpse of the truth through a 100 year old book. She went back through centuries, tracing and uncovering a common truth that lay at the core of the most powerful philosophies, teachings and religions in the world.
What Rhonda discovered is now captured in The Secret, a film that has been viewed by millions around the world. The Secret has also been released as an audio-book and printed book with more than six million copies in print.
The Secret explains with simplicity the law that is governing all lives, and offers the knowledge of how to create - intentionally and effortlessly - a joyful life. This is the secret to everything - the secret to unlimited happiness, love, health and prosperity.
This is the secret to life.
When I first read about The Secret, I was eager to watch the movie and looked for it all over Nairobi without success. And then one day, I just came across it being sold at a small stall next to a staircase that goes towards the basement of Embassy House opposite Sheria House along Harambee Avenue.
At the very least, watching this movie will stimulate your mind to take a different look at your current circumstances and the way you have lived life so far.
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2:49
From: Cock And Bull
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The only man that villagers knew who worked in a big Mzungu (White Man) Hotel in Nairobi came from 2 ridges away from my rural home. The man was the uncle to one of the friends that I grew up with. Apart from being envious of my friend for having such a well placed uncle, I also enjoyed the privilege of getting to shake the hand of the great man whenever he turned up while I was visiting my friend’s house.
Many years later – about 2 years ago – I visited that particular Hotel in town for the first time for a cup of coffee with friends. Just before we left, I decided to visit the bathroom. And I cannot exactly describe the feeling that overcame me when I looked into the big mirror and saw the reflection of my friend’s uncle tiredly leaning on the wooden handle of a mop taking a break from his chores of cleaning the bathroom floor. He was wearing a brown uniform with a cute beige collar and shiny buttons. None of us had changed very much physically and we instantly recognized each other. We politely enquired about one another’s welfare over the years, and exchanged information about our respective families’ wellbeing. When I came out of the restroom, I was surprised to realize that I was embarrassed at having broken the larger-than-life myth that my friend’s uncle’s job at the hotel carried in the village over all the years I have known him.
A few months later, I was to look at the hotel from a distance and think about all those times I hear someone say, “I know a guy who works there!”, and realized that people mostly do that to elevate their own status in the eyes of their friends. And so the next time I want to impress someone, I will not gleefully point at the hotel and say; “I know a guy who works there…he is the guy who cleans the loos and is from my village!” How does that sound? And yet, ever since I have known him, I can attest that the man is a Loving husband who travels upcountry every weekend to be with his wife, and an excellent father who works very hard to put his children through school and afford a comfortable life for them. I also remember his interest in our school work, encouraging us to work hard and pass all our exams with flying colors. And yet if allowed, one afternoon of finding him at his work station will take away the vision of a great man and replace it with one of an old tired one leaning heavily on a wooden handle of a mop.
It is this knowledge of a person for who he or she truly is and embracing them in Love and acceptance that means something to them. Everyone has an area in their life that has always been less than glamorous, perhaps that even needs to be carefully concealed lest it pops up and surprised everyone else. You and I yearn – sometimes even demand – to be understood and to be assured that despite all our known and unknown foibles, we are alright. I am sure you know what comfort there is in the assurance that even though you might not measure up to all the standards that society expects you to conform to, there are still people who consider you OK in their eyes.
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1:36
From: Cock And Bull
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“I’d gone through life believing in the strength and competence of others; never in my own. Now, dazzled, I discovered that my capacities were real. It was like finding a fortune in the lining of an old coat.”
- Joan Mills
Take a moment to stop and think about what you give to the people and life around you. Don’t think about what you’re not doing right. Look instead at all you do that is a blessing.
Many of us continually beat ourselves up for not doing or being enough. But imagine for a moment that you are great just as you are. Feel the relief this brings! Now open to the possibility that this is not a daydream. It’s true! Believe it!
“People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
“We cannot rise higher than our thought of ourselves.”
- Orison Swett Marden
From The Inner Journey e-newsletter
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1:33
From: Cock And Bull
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“If a pickpocket meets a Holy Man, he will see only his pockets.”
- Hari Dass
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6:42
From: Cock And Bull
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There is a risk involved in everything
Every time you share a smile
Every time you shed a tear
You are opening yourself up to hurt.
Some people tread slowly through life,
Avoiding the closeness risk brings,
Side-stepping the things they can’t understand
Turning away from those who care too much,
Those who care stay too long,
Those who hold too tightly.
There is never an easy way to love
You can not approach it cautiously
It will not wait for you to arm yourself.
It does not care if you turn away
It is everywhere, it is everything.
Love is the greatest of all risks.
It is not reliable, it is not cautious,
It is not sympathetic
It is unprejudiced and unmerciliess.
It strikes the strongest of mind,
And brings them to their knees in one blow.
Even in the best of times, love hurts.
It hurts to need, it hurts to belong,
It hurts to be the other part of someone else,
Without either of your consent.
But, from the moment it overtakes you,
It hurts worse to be all alone.
The risk of love never depletes;
It grows stronger and more dangerous with time.
But, it’s in the total surrender of all defense,
That we, no matter weak or strong,
No matter willing or captive,
No matter what, we truly experience love.
Despite the many things love is not,
Outweighing it all are the things that love is.
Love is surrender without a loss.
It is a gift without the cost.
It consumes your every thought & desire,
Every breath you take.
It is the fire that fuels you
To do more than pass through life;
It urges you, instead, to live.
No matter the outcome, having felt love,
You will never be the same.
It may scar your heart & soul
And Leave you only memories of forever.
Or, it may cause every day of your life
To feel like there is no need for tomorrow.
But, love is worth it. It is worth the risk…
For in all of life,
Love is truly the only risk worth taking.
- By Kris Hydmore
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4:04
From: Cock And Bull
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A person has a spot on the dress at the back at a place that a quick glance in the morning mirror did not show. And that person will walk through the streets without being aware of the presence of the blemish. However, no matter how smartly dressed the person is, he will feel unsure of himself since he will sense that everything is not quite right. The person might even notice others staring or pointing. What a relief it would be if a friend or even a stranger were to make the effort of helping to correct the anomaly? The spot would then be removed and the person will be able to walk with confidence once again.
God is the friend who sees something that we cannot see and is not afraid to tell us. To a Christian, reading the Bible – God’s word - will inform the person about all the things that need changing in their lives. And when a person heeds the word and implements the changes, he or she will be able to make things right once again with the self.
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6:37
From: Cock And Bull
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If you are put in a metal institution and the only other sane person refuses to tell you that you are not insane, what will you think? Will you think that you are insane because he did not say that you are sane…or will you believe in what you know?
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0:36
From: Cock And Bull
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One of the reasons why we hold on to things despite our better judgment is because of the fear of loss. A person simple cannot bear the thought of the hollow that the absence will create.
How can a person look at a hole without seeing its emptiness? Simply by putting something inside the hole. A person can decide to take a young seedling and plant it inside a hole. And each time the person looks at the hole, in the place of the hollow he or she will see the young plant needing Love and care. And will then nurture it moment by moment.
When it comes to the emptiness of the heart, the best seedling to fill the hollow would be anything that has spiritual meaning. Jesus Christ for example, supported by the practices of reading the Bible, praying, contemplation and meditation can be an excellent way. And soon what seemed like unbearable emptiness turns out to become a source of joy and lifelong sustenance.
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5:32
From: Cock And Bull
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I lean on the balcony rail and I look at the palm of my right hand resting inside the palm of my left hand. I see how one perfectly bends round the contours of the other and I feel the warmth that comes from the tight embrace.
When I am ecstatic the two palms come together in the excitement and make loud rhythmic claps.
When I am in shame the two palms hide behind my back and clasp each other for comfort.
When I nuzzle to sleep the two palms come together in a huddle between my legs.
When one palm is hurt, the other massages it gently in an attempt to take away the pain.
Even though one is the opposite of the other, I would not be complete without both my left palm and my right palm. And it is easy to see that one was made for the other, just as there is a one person that is made just for another.
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18:32
From: Cock And Bull
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It was on market day. The unknown conman from another village confidently walked to the big tree at the middle of the market square and dramatically clipped a paper note on a leaf on the lowest hanging twig. It was a crisp one hundred shillings note. The market women and the male traders looked at him wondering at the meaning of such a dramatic act. And seeing the ill-camouflaged desire in their minds the conman flamboyantly announced, “This one hundred shillings paper money is yours if you can hit it with a ten shilling coin from a distance of 12 feet!” With that, he made several short strides and drew a line with the heel of his brown “hockey” shoes to indicate the distance from where the aim would be taken. Within a short time, many people – men and women - lined up to hit the big denomination note with the many coins that they had made when they sold their wares in the market. And they laughed gleefully at each other as they missed, while others looked desperate in the eye like they really needed to hit the note. Despite it looking like an easy feat, no one could hit the note and some even dismissed it as some work of “dawa” – the local juju. But others insisted on trying. And it was only after a person had missed many times that he realized that he had thrown away his 100 shillings worth of coins in order to get a 100 shillings paper note, but didn’t. Once again such folly was attributed to the work of the unknown man’s “dawa”.
Sometimes we get so transfixed with the future ‘big thing’ that we will one day accomplish and forget to acknowledge the many small things that we can do today. And yet as it turns out, the ‘big thing’ often is the build up of the many seemingly mundane things that we do each day. And so the ‘big thing’ of the future robs us of the moment like the conman from another village on market day.
Do not let future ownership steal from you the enjoyment of that which you posses today. Also, as you pursue that person that you aspire to be in the future, remember that you are already somebody today. Avoid the village market day folly of throwing away the present and losing the future as well.
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15:06
From: Cock And Bull
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“Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams — they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do — they all contain truths.”
- Muhammad Ali
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14:02
From: Cock And Bull
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1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
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0:34
From: Cock And Bull
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Living in the world today, it might not be easier to believe in God tomorrow than it is now since once again, the world will change tonight. But if you already believe in God today, then it will be easy to believe tomorrow since God will be the same tomorrow as he is now and will be tonight.
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0:26
From: Cock And Bull
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I am sure that there is a perfect scientific explanation about how the clouds hang from the sky without any strings suspending them from above, or how the rainbow arcs across the horizon without needing something to bend it. But still we have to ask, “How does God create all that science?”
If you have read books about how to unleash the power inside yourself, you now know that you are the creator of your own universe. You might also know that every desire you have will come true as long as you hold the image in your mind and feel good about it. And this works whether you pray or not. But still we have to ask, “How does God create all those techniques?”
If you study human history and keep an open mind, you might realize that the present concept of God is a continued reaction to man’s insecurity in a world of uncertainty. You also know that contrary to what your pastor might say, if you have a threesome tonight, you most certainly will be able to enjoy your day tomorrow without having to worry about a bolt of lightening from above shattering your skull.
With all the science, technology, philosophy and intelligence today, believing in God might seem like foolishness. And so you have to ask yourself today once again, “Do I still want to believe in God?”
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23:50
From: Cock And Bull
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A few days ago, I was reading some literature and came across a section where the name of God had been written with a small letter g. My first reaction was to recoil in horror and I asked myself, “How can a person write God’s name with a small g?” And as I sat there wondering about the gross disrespect for God that this particular writer had displayed, I remembered an incident that once made a great impression in my mind.
That incident happened a few years ago at the height of HIV/AIDS stigma in Kenya. I was sitting in a barber shop and watched as clients came to have their hair trimmed. I noticed that a few came with their own shaving equipment in order to avoid infection from the barber’s equipment which was used to cut the hair of every client. And I thought to myself, “That is excellent!” And then at some point, the barber was disinfecting his hair cutting equipment and said in exasperation, “A person will come with shaving equipment to avoid HIV infection in the day, and then will have unprotected sex with a person he hardly knows in the evening!”
And so as I looked at the name of God spelled with a small letter g, I realized that we spend a lifetime being careful not to miss a single capital G while writing God’s name, and never give much thought about breaking the Bible’s Ten Commandments with impunity. I believe that if God was to start looking at His book of judgment right now, out of the people who would not qualify for a heavenly reward, none would be there because he or she failed to write God’s name with a capital G.
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14:02
From: Cock And Bull
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One day, a man left home and wandered into the big city. And he walked until evening and it became dark before he could get himself to turn around. And as he tried to hurry back home, the allures of the town by night distracted him. And he became careless and forgot to guard his heart. And that is when his heart dropped from his breast. And before he could catch it, it had rolled several times on the ground.
The man hastily picked up his heart and stuffed it back into his chest where it belonged. And he hoped that no one had seen it fall. For it was already smeared with dirt.
And for many years he walked around with a tainted heart. And it made him feel unworthy. And each day he wondered what it was that would wash his heart clean. He searched in all the places of knowledge that he knew. And he could not get a solution.
Then one day he heard a beautiful song that said:
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
And he kept asking himself, “Could this be it?”
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1:09
From: Cock And Bull
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Back in the village almost every household had a dog and each of these dogs was expected to serve a particular purpose. The dogs were mostly kept so that they could guard the homestead at night and to a lesser extent as companions in hunting and in the herding of other domestic animals like cows, goats and sheep.
Some homes were known for miles around because of the ferocity of the dogs that they kept. In such a home, the owner would carefully write a sign that read “Mbwa Kali” (ferocious dog) and hang it at the entrance of the homestead to warn any prospective thief that the home was well protected. These dogs would be carefully locked away during the day and on being set free when the owner went to sleep, they would keep a night long vigil in their designated homestead; very disciplined. Usually these dogs were well fed by their owners who even took the trouble to make the long journey to town to buy commercial dog food. They were also well groomed and rarely had any insects on them or parasites in their bodies.
In most homes however, the dogs ended up serving more as sirens than as guards. If thieves or wild animals came at night, the dogs would bark loudly to alert the owner and then take off in terror to save their own lives, leaving the master to deal with the crisis on his own. In fact, it was not guaranteed that the dog would be there to act as a siren, depended on where its sense of smell had taken it scavenging. During the day, these kind of dogs would be seen roaming the village looking for food handouts, with their huge floppy ears, ribs the stuck out and a tail that was permanently tucked between the hind legs. Occasionally, such a dog would stop with an audible sigh of frustration to vigorously scratch for flees with its hind limbs and would even attempt to bite the insects with its teeth with an angry growl. Its owner obviously never fed it, leave alone groom it to remove insects from its fur.
Depending on its owner, any dog could turn out to be a mbwa kali (ferocious dog) or a mũfi (mongrel). The ferocious dogs had to be trained, fed and groomed and taken good care of. On the other hand, the owner of the mongrel never took the time to train or feed it, groom it or even take proper care for it.
These two kinds of dogs remind me of our talents. God gives each one of us a special talent or talents. Some people take the time to train and nurture their talents until they become as useful in society as mbwa kali. Other people just take their talents for granted and never train or nurture them and so the talent ends up as emaciated, unkempt and disappointing as the village mongrel. And just as 1 well trained mbwa kali could be more useful than 10 mongrels as a homestead guard, a person with 1 nurtured talent is more fulfilled than a person with 10 talents that have been left to go to waste.
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8:04
From: Cock And Bull
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JANUARY 25TH 2008,
DAY OF PRAYER FOR KENYA
“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, I will hear from heaven, I will hear and I will come and HEAL THEIR LAND.”
God, 2 Chronicles 7:14
On January 25th 2008, we are asking Every Kenyan, Everywhere to take time to make a concerted prayer for Kenya.
We want EVERY Kenyan in EVERY CONTINENT on the face of the earth to be praying together on this one day on behalf of our country.
How to participate:
* Spread the word: send this message to Every Kenyan you know, Everywhere – txt, SMS, e-mail, phone call
* On January 25th, make a point of setting aside time to pray for Kenya, it does not have to be a long time but it must be a deliberate effort to pray for specific things about Kenya
* You can pray individually, or get together with a friend or friends, workmates, someone on the street, your priest, pastor, congregation, youth group
What to pray for:
• AMANI, AMANI, AMANI. PEACE, PEACE, PEACE
• Whatever else you feel in your heart to pray for concerning Kenya
‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; when there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.’
St Francis 1915
‘Maombi ya mtu mwenye haki yana nguvu na huleta matokeo.’
Bible James 5:16
If you have any questions/suggestions please send an e-mail to:
AmaniKenyaMilele@hotmail.com
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8:03
From: Cock And Bull
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“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”
- Unknown
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7:19
From: Cock And Bull
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“Today’s mighty oak is just yesterday’s nut, that held its ground.”
Anonymous
Do you have an idea that you would want to try, yet are afraid that it will make you look like a nut? Well, Henry Ford was past middle age when the idea of the Ford car came to him. His friends thought it was a crazy idea. He had great difficulty in raising the money and his father said to him, tearfully, “Henry, why do you give up a good twenty-five dollar a week job in order to chase a crazy idea?”
Can you be today’s nut?
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23:21
From: Cock And Bull
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One of the most inspiring Love songs that I know is the duet Tell Him by Celine Dion and Barbara Streisand. The song takes the form of a conversation between two friends with one seeking advice on how to approach a man she fancies.
In the song the first friend says:
I’m scared
So afraid to show I care
Will he think me weak
If I tremble when I speak
Oooh - what if
There’s another one he’s thinking of
Maybe he’s in Love
I’d feel like a fool
Life can be so cruel
I don’t know what to do
And the second replies:
I’ve been there
With my heart out in my hand
But what you must understand
You can’t let the chance
To Love him pass you by
She adds:
Tell him
Tell him that the sun and moon
Rise in his eyes
Reach out to him
And whisper
Tender words so soft and sweet
Hold him close to feel his heart beat
Love will be the gift you give yourself
Touch him
With the gentleness you feel inside
Your Love can’t be denied
The truth will set you free
You’ll have what’s meant to be
All in time you’ll see
The first friend then says:
I Love him
Of that much I can be sure
I don’t think I could endure
If I let him walk away
When I have so much to say
The second friend finally advices:
Love is light that surely glows
In the hearts of those who know
It’s a steady flame that grows
Feed the fire
with all the passion you can show
Tonight love will assume its place
This memory time cannot erase
Blind faith will lead Love where it has to go
Never let him go
These are words with the kind of encouragement that many of us would like to hear, not only about the people that we secretly admire, but also for all the things that we truly desire in life. Often, we covet things from a distance and never quite go to get them for the reason that we have fear in one form or another. We think “What if…..” in its negative form and that only takes the objective even further away. Why not think “What if…” in the positive form and feel the excitement that possibility brings?
As the songs says, “Blind faith will lead Love where it has to go”, and I say that whether as mundane as expecting to drink a cup of hot chocolate or as profound as the resolution to know God better, faith will lead whichever dream you hold dear to its destination.
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22:45
From: Cock And Bull
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I see a school bus drive up to the bus stop. A man steps out of the door and quickly ushers in one boy in blue and white uniform and a school bag on his back. He then talks to a woman with a young boy next to her. He proceeds to pick up the boy from his mother’s side and walks with him into the bus. As the outstretched hands of the boy disappears into the bus, I hear the last sound of his cries. His mother has a shawl wrapped around her head and her hands are firmly drawn towards her back. And I can see that the fists are clenched as she lets her son go to school for the first time. As the bus drives away, the woman stands there looking at its departing tail undecidedly for a few moments before turning back to walk back to her house.
As I watch the scene, I realize that it is obvious that the mother would have wished to keep her son at home for company for as long as is possible. However, she has to allow him to go to school to get an education. I saw that the little boy was reluctant to leave his mother and go to school, and yet it is necessary since it is for his own good. The highest form of Love allows one person to want what is best for another despite the discomfort that it might cause them in the process. When a person truly Loves another, he or she not only allows that person to become what they aspire to be in life, but also supports them and even helps to push them in that direction if necessary.
Love is the reason why when the boy stretched out his arms, the mother hid hers behind her back - despite how painful that action might have been for both of them.
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22:14
From: Cock And Bull
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In the village, the source of water was a small stream at the bottom of the valley. It was the duty of the women and children to make several trips everyday to fetch water for various activities in the household such as drinking, cooking, cleaning, washing and watering the livestock. It used to be common to walk to the stream to fetch water and find the water was dirty. And you would immediately realize that some naughty boys had muddied it upstream while either swimming or fishing. When that happened, there were two options open. The first would be to sit and wait until the water became clear and the second option would be to walk upstream until you come to the place where the water was clean.
The problem with the first option was that there was no telling how long a person would wait. On a day when the boys were out on a nuisance creating spree, one would have to wait for hours before the water cleared. For that reason, it was better to walk upstream until one came to the spot where the boys were playing in the water. The water upstream of this point would be clean. This option had the additional benefit of the chance of scaring off the boys and hence ensuring that other people would not have to walk upstream to fetch clean water.
Once in a while, a person realizes that their stream of life has been muddied upstream. Maybe a person picked up ideas that are not useful in getting them to where they eventually want to go, or it may even be habits that have seriously disrupted their lives, or they hooked up with a person who is not what they initially imagined. Many people just sit and wait, hoping that things will get better and that everything will eventually go back to normal. And that is all they do…wait, while feeling victimized by the circumstances that they are in, and blaming others for their misfortunes. Other people decide to take matters into their own hands and take action to change the circumstances. In so doing they save time and take conscious control of their lives, hence navigating themselves from the place they would rather not be to the place they want to go. That is what walking upstream to the point where the water is muddied is all about.
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21:36
From: Cock And Bull
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Can you imagine yourself sitting in a classroom eagerly waiting to learn your favorite subject? The teacher comes and gives a wonderful lesson and leaves. As soon as the first teacher leaves, a second teacher comes and gives a lesson in the same subject and then leaves. No sooner than the second teacher leaves, a third teacher comes and gives yet another lesson in the same subject. On and on, the teachers come and go, transferring their knowledge of the subject to you. This goes on for a long time, and you being a bright and eager student absorb all the lessons without question. And then one day, you try to assess your knowledge on the subject and realize that nothing is clear any more. You realize that what you already knew has been smeared with doubt, and whatever new knowledge you have is scanty and not adequate to enable you have concrete knowledge of your favorite subject. What to do now?
This is how it sometimes feels on the subject of God. If you eagerly look for information about God with an open mind, then you know that it is inevitable to venture into various literature and to talk with different people about the subject. And God being one of those subjects that any theory might suffice - or not - depending on how convincing the lecturer is, you are bound to learn from the greats just as easily as from the jokers. And it might feel as if each of the teachers wrote on the blackboard even without bothering to wipe out what was written by the previous teacher. What to do then?
I sometimes feel as if the key to understanding God better lies in unlearning what a person already knows more that learning new things about God. For example, being that each one of us owes their most fundamental believes – or non believes – about God to the geographical location, or family in which they were born, then it is imperative that when one can think for themselves they should examine their guiding principles not only about God but about life as well to find out if they serve them well or not. Having been born in a Christian family, do my most basic lessons in religion and what I gathered thereafter as a result of being a Christian by default serve to improve my relationship with God or not? If I were born in India and became a default Hindu would the worship of many gods be a suitable spiritual life experience? If I were born in Russia and found myself an atheist would I want to go through life believing in the non existence of God?
Unfortunately, no matter how they feel about the beliefs, many people persevere in the religions they were born into for many reasons ranging from ignorance, lack of interest, and even the fear that the God of that particular religion would be wrathful if one became spiritually adventurous. As you might already know, few religions if any will agree that God is big enough to go around for all the people of the world. And as a result of this limited thinking, the ‘true God’ is carefully hoarded by the believers of each particular religion and is only dispensed out like my grandmother’s cough syrup back in the village; you only get a spoonful if your cough sounds convincing enough for her untrained ears. Just how many ‘true Gods’ can there be in the world?
I think if we were to lose fear and accept the challenge of finding out more about God, we might decide that the place to start is at the beginning. And what a better way to go back to the beginning than to start shedding off those limited beliefs that prevent us from experiencing the abundant and everlasting supply of God? One of the most effective ways that a person can get to learn more about God is through asking God to reveal Himself in a way that the person will understand. When you ask God, He will reveal Himself (or She will reveal Herself, or It will reveal Itself) using one or more of the infinite number of ways available and in the most irrevocable way possible.
What better way to start a class than to wipe clean a blackboard in anticipation for a brand new lesson?
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12:54
From: Cock And Bull
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There is a feeling of being lost in a bush. And one knows that they are far away from the beaten path. When a person looks back, he realizes that once, seeming like a long time ago and maybe not too long ago, he was on the path that led to the place where he wanted to go. And the question is, just how did one get so far away from the path they knew so well? One remembers of values, and ideals, and beliefs that used to act as daily guides. And there was no fear or confusion at what has been, is, or will ever be.
But now, there seems only to be ideas that never stop to seem strange even after being used over and over again. And the unapologetic drudgery of a monotonous life makes the shoulders sag like the jeans worn by today’s teenagers. When one laughs, it sounds strange for it has been such a long time since he heard that sound!
And when the making of crucial decisions is based on what another person needs to hear, one misses the simple life of little songs:
Jesus, Love is very very wonderful!
Jesus, Love is very very wonderful!
Jesus, Love is very very wonderful!
Oh! Wonderful Love
So high that you can’t get over it
So low that you can’t get under it
So wide that you cant get round it
Oh! Wonderful Love.
One even wonders when it is that he grew up! He realizes that to be able to find himself, he needs to replace his steps back to the beaten path. If need be, he will walk backwards one step before another until he goes back to the time when he was sure. For right now the future can only be salvaged by going back to the past. Back to those values, and ideals, and beliefs that used to act as daily guides. Back to the beaten path.
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12:24
From: Cock And Bull
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The joy of people coming together in a relationship is in what is added into their lives. Whereas one person would have planted one seed and reaped a single maize cob, now they are able to plant 2 seeds and reap 2 maize cobs. Whereas as one person had only 2 friends, now he has 2 more from his partner’s friends. Whereas a person might only have had one set of parents and a brother and a sister, now he has another mother and father, and other brothers and sisters. Whereas a person might not have laughed at his own jokes, now he can laugh from another’s jokes and his old jokes can still find someone to tickle. Whereas a person could only pray alone, now it is two people coming together for the sake of God. Whereas Love used to matter only when it is received, now it matters even more when it is given. And the longing of having someone to be with in a relationship is replaced by the joy of what is added into our lives.
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8:15
From: Cock And Bull
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I was talking to a friend earlier about some difficult decisions in life and it reminded me of the time that I lost my job for the first time. It was in 2000 and it was the first real job that I ever had. The pay was good, my future in the company looked great, my career goals looked very attractive, and I thought I was where I wanted to be.
One day, I went to see the boss with some grievances about my pay. I informed him that according to the company policy, I was due for a pay rise. I assumed the pay rise would be automatic since I had fulfilled some stipulated conditions. However, the man produced a flip chart and a marker pen and began lecturing me about the benefits of staying in a company with career growth as the objective. After he had drawn a few curves that all pointed to the sky – among them one that had my name on it - it became clear that I would not get the much anticipated pay rise. And since at the time my only objective for working was to get more money, we began having an argument about my right to have a pay rise. At some point, he became annoyed at what he might have considered my limited vision and he said in an offhanded manner, “If you want to quit, no one has tied your shoe laces together.”
When I left his office, I knew that I only had one thing to do. And so as his words burned in my mind and I kept glancing at my feet, I easily wrote a resignation letter on the computer, printed it, signed it, handed it over to his secretary and left before I changed my mind. He was to call me later to his office, but it was for a different working arrangement where his company would hire me for 2 hours every day. That meeting opened up my mind to the realization that I could work for different companies at the same time. I was later to learn that I could even further divide my time between doing activities that generate money and doing activities that create value in none monetary terms.
When I am brutally honest with myself, I always come to the same conclusion; that no one has ever prevented me from having more, or doing more or becoming more. I am the one who imposes the limits upon myself. When I look down at my shoes I realize that it is I alone that have prevented myself from going to the places I would want to be. Or to put it more clearly, it is I that prevented myself from leaving the place where I already are. For, I always see that my shoe laces are not tied together.
No one’s shoe laces are tied together… not even yours.
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1:44
From: Cock And Bull
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Tomorrow is Wednesday and Kenyans are preparing themselves for a period of uncertainty after an aggrieved ODM party called for another round of demonstrations from its supporters to protest what has now come to be referred to as the “stolen election”. Mombasa has supporters from both parties and if you listen to people talking in the streets, you will occasionally hear a person say that he or she is willing to die for his or her right to have the president of choice at the helm. And this reminds me of a conversation I had with Mama Flavor last week.
Mama Flavor is a woman who sells condoms in some of the popular night spots in Nairobi. During the first round of political turmoil immediately after the presidential elections results were announced, Mama Flavor did not go to work and she says that some of her clients even had to personally find her at home in order to get condoms. With most of the shops closed – especially in the slum areas where violence was rife – Mama Flavor informed me that people had no access to condoms. She also informed me that in those few days, many, many people had unprotected sex, putting themselves at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. All the government dispensaries ran out of free condoms. Hearing Mama Flavor speak makes you realize that there are many sides to life that a person might not even know about. Who would imagine that while some people are desperately looking for food and shelter, others would be seeking desperately for a condom? And yet, both are scenarios with equally serious life and death situations.
All this makes me wonder about the things that people are willing to die for. When one person will die for the sake of a particular political stand, another will die because the urgency to copulate could not wait until protection is found. And the list is endless since people will die for eating too much, drinking too much, driving too fast, for a lover, for family and even for God. Would God really be waiting with a bouquet of flowers to welcome a suicide bomber who blew himself up and took a hundred other lives of “unbelievers” with him? And would the devil be furiously stoking the fires of hell as he awaits those “unbelievers” so that he can roast them forever, ever, ever?
The more I think about it, the more clear it becomes that the difference between the person who will die for a certain politician and the politician himself is that one person is willing to die for what he believes in, while the other is willing to live for what he believes in. Thousands of Kenyan men and women are willing to die so that Mwai Kibaki or Raila Odinga can be president, but ironically neither Mwai Kibaki nor Raila Odinga will be willing to die to become president. As far as politics go, these two and other politicians are survivors since they have been at the game for decades. In short, they have given their lives to politics by deciding to live for it and not die for it.
What is it that you think you could die for? Why not have a different stand and decide to live for it instead? And let us all pray to God and hope that Kenyans will stop dying and killing each other for the sake of the convenience of a handful of politicians.
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12:07
From: Cock And Bull
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My friend warned me that a season would come when there would be numerous tiny jelly fish in the ocean and it becomes excruciatingly painful to swim. And as I touch my still sore knuckle, I guess that season is about now. I have had 2 jelly fish stings in the last three days. The first day it happened, a tiny jelly fish drifted towards me from the back and came into contact with my shoulder. Reacting from the sting and not knowing what was going on I reached behind and smeared the wispy tendils all over my back, making it even worse. I can only describe it similar to the pain of skin coming into contact with a hot surface. And the reaction is similar since like a burn, you instinctively attempt to wipe it away even after the contact is no longer there.
Up till today, the only thing that I knew about jelly fish is what I learnt from the animated movie titled Finding Nemo: that they look similar to pretty pink mushrooms with thin roots growing downwards and that they sting. The jelly fish at the coast of Mombasa must be babies since they are tiny and blue have a few bubbles around them. They might not even be easily recognized from any other tiny sea debris floating in the water making them treacherous. Today I heard howls and screams from no less than three swimmers who had been stung.
And as I research about jelly fish, the most surprising things to learn are that they have no brain and that the same orifice used to take in food, is also the one used to expel waste. Here’s more:
The body of an adult jellyfish consists of a bell shape producing jelly and enclosing its internal structure, from which tentacles are suspended. Each tentacle is covered with cells called cnidocytes, that can sting or kill other animals. Most jellyfish use these cells to secure prey or for defense. Others, such as the Rhizostomae, do not have tentacles at all.
Jellyfish lack basic sensory organs and a brain, but their nervous systems and rhopalia allow them to perceive stimuli, such as light and odor, and respond quickly. They feed on small fish and zooplankton that become caught in their tentacles. Most jellyfish are passive drifters and slow swimmers, as their shape is not hydrodynamic. Instead, they move so as to create a current forcing the prey within reach of their tentacles. They do this by rhythmically opening and closing their bell-like body. Their digestive system is incomplete: the same orifice is used to take in food and expel waste. The body of an adult is made up of 94–98% water. The bell consists of a layer of epidermis, gastrodermis, and a thick, intervening layer called mesoglea that produces most of the jelly.
Most jellyfish have tendrils or oral arms coated with thousands of microscopic nematocysts. Generally, each nematocyst has a “trigger” (cnidocil) paired with a capsule containing a coiled stinging filament armed with exterior barbs. Upon contact, the filament rapidly unwinds, launches into the target, and injects toxins. The animal can then pull its prey into its mouth, if appropriate.
Although most jellyfish are not perniciously dangerous to humans, a few are highly toxic, such as Cyanea capillata.
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11:30
From: Cock And Bull
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It was one of those nights where a person finds themselves wondering how long they have been awake or asleep. I did not know what time it was, and did not want to know. All the same, I hoped that it was closer to morning than to midnight. The air was very still and the night was hot and stuffy. Whereas I would be tossing around in bed if I were in Nairobi, in Mombasa, I found myself scratching my body at no place in particular. And so it was almost a relief to learn that Kachir was drunk once again.
In this town, Kachir is the word used to refer to fried potatoes, and is the nickname given to the short, lean man with a bald head and shaggy beard who lives in an iron sheet shack at the back of the apartments block. The reason why the man is called Kachir is because once in a while, he lights a huge fire, brings out a huge frying pan, boils some salad oil and spends a few hours preparing potato crisps. He then packages them in small transparent plastic bags and sells them next to the main gate. However, his trade is not consistent since as soon as he has a substantial amount of money, he wraps up his trade and goes off to drink mnazi (local alcoholic beverage prepared from coconut milk).
Kachir might or might not be our watchman. I heard that he resigned about a month ago after a theft in the neighborhood, but from his loud theatrics last might, I suppose he still considers himself the watchman. When he resigned, he took up the job of cleaning the neighborhood and collecting garbage, after telling off the former contractor.
Though inconsistent, Kachir is very hard working. He is also the true jack of all trades and an even truer master of none. The other day when my shower tap was leaking, Kachir offered to fix it. Even though he only needed to replace a rubber valve, I ended up purchasing a whole tap, and then realized that he did not have the right tools to fix the problem. The leak was eventually fixed when Kachir enlisted the help of friends. If water was blood, and Kachir and company were a team of surgeons, it would have been one of the messiest operations you have ever seen. It is amusing to think that Kachir’s solution was similar to a person buying a new car so that he can remove the wheel and replace the puncture on the old car, and then realizing that he did not have a wheel spanner once the purchase had been finalized. Still I am grateful to Kachir since when I moved in, he is the one who did the general cleaning in my house and also did most of the moving of the furniture. I also have a standing offer from him to do my laundry, which I keep turning down.
Anyway, Kachir was high as a kite and he walked into the compound shouting at imaginary enemies. He dared them to “kuja mkirukaruka kama chura” (come hoping around like frogs) and informed them of his deadly arsenal of bow and arrows. By then, I was already out of bed and I looked out of the window to see him seating on a heap of building stones attempting to wear his shirt. The task must have been very cumbersome to accomplish as he simultaneously made his loud threats since it took a very long time before the shirt successfully went over his head. By then he had given his opinion about educated people who do not use their “school brains”, the government and also about the opposition. To a person from bara (upcountry), listening to Kachir’s insult laced tirade of poetic coastal Kiswahili is as fascinating as a British aristocrat listening to a African American brother talk shop.
When his shirt was firmly on his back, he stood up and went away towards the direction he had come from. And there was just a small respite after Kachir’s departure before a car pulled up and the silence was replaced by the agitated voices of two females. One was telling another, “Makena…stop crying!” and the one called Makena replied by telling her partner, “Why does someone take my life for granted?” After a short heated exchange, the car drove away with Makena’s voice wailing loudly. That is not totally unexpected in Mombasa since here, the party never stops and once in a while the aftermath comes interrupting your sleep.
When I found Kachir washing a car at the car park this morning, I asked him who had so incensed him last night, and he looked at me as if he had no idea what I was talking about. And as I walked away I thought about the cycles; the light that chases away the darkness and you cannot recognize the person you saw in the night, when it is day. And I prayed to God that the angry Kachir and the anguished Makena that is in each one of us may find true peace, and that eventually in our hearts, night may be as day.
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3:18
From: Cock And Bull
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I left the house at around 9 o’clock. It was not difficult to find a matatu to town from Kiambu Road. Just like yesterday, the roads are deserted and people have chosen to remain indoors as they wait for the announcement of who the next president of Kenya is going to be. When I got to Ngara where I expected to easily find a number 6 matatu to Easteligh, I realized that they were not available. And so I decided to take a number 9 instead. For that, I had to trek for about 200 meters to Kariokor. As I walked, I saw a few people who seemed to be out of their houses as a matter of mere adventurism rather than anything else. The reason is because businesses along the busy Park Road were all shut down.
Within a few minutes, I arrived in the predominantly Somali neighborhood of Eastleigh in Nairobi. One of the benefits of having a ghost town is the fact that because of the little traffic on the road, it now takes just a few minutes to reach any destination. And just like at Park Road, business is at a standstill in Eastleigh. Considering that Eastleigh is perhaps the busiest business area in the city, it goes to show just how much tension there is. The shrewd Somali traders were all over the streets of Eastleigh moving up and down perhaps unable to bear inactivity and going without doing business for yet another day. When I was through with my business in Eastleigh, I boarded another number 9 matatu back to Ngara. It took time to get one since public transport is moving at a trickle.
The short trip from Saint Teresa’s to Juja Road was uneventful until we came to a place called Mlango Kubwa. A group of rowdy youths had barricaded the road with old motor vehicle tyres and they forcefully stopped the matatu. They stormed inside demanding to be told if there were any ODM supporters in the matatu. About half of them had bloody bandages on their heads and other parts of their bodies – perhaps badges of honor for their allegiance to their favorite presidential candidate. After making an inspection to ensure that there was no “ODM looking person”, they got out and ordered the driver to move ahead. They left the few - mainly Somali - passengers in the matatu terrified, and I came face to face for the first time with the grim reality of what is going on in the trenches.
As the matatu pulled away from the unauthorized road block, I saw the youth begin to scamper as they saw an approaching police vehicle. The matatu crew began discussing about the running battles that have been going on along Juja Road between youths supporting various presidential candidates. Juja Road happens to harbor the huge slum area of Mathare Valley. There are more youths supporting the PNU party than those of ODM. This being a PNU stronghold, anyone supporting ODM has had to relocate. I also understand that in ODM ghetto strongholds, the PNU supporters have had to evacuate to avoid trouble.
It is ironic that as the unfortunate youths in the ghettos fight it out, the people who actually benefit from an | |
