With permission, I've extracted this picture-quote from Your Quote. All rights reserved worldwide.
Last Friday, I was to record a hymn in the studio of a certain producer, so I called him on Thursday evening to confirm our appointment, only for him not to pick my calls.
Come Friday, I went to his studio, a rather long journey, trusting that I would find him there like I did another time. But alas! He wasn't there.
What's worse, he didn't pick my calls or reply to my messages. And I waited for him for quite a long time because I even had a haircut in a barbershop near his studio.
Perhaps I thought he was held up somewhere, so it wasn't until I called him and heard his line was busy, and then my next call went unanswered that I realized he was just ignoring me.
I went back home feeling offended. Why had the producer not informed me he couldn't honour our appointment? And why did he refuse to pick my calls on Friday? Does it hurt respecting other people's time?
********************* RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story, you might also enjoy "Wisdom From a Cab Driver".
This is my departed friend David Musyoki. Musyoki was a schoolmate of mine at Starehe Boys' Centre where we had our high school and college education. A year ahead of me, he became the captain of his dormitory in 2004. We weren't that close though.
Years later after we became friends on Facebook, he sent me a message, promising to introduce me to influential contacts in my county when I made it known on Facebook that I was running for Senate in the general elections that were held in 2013.
Though he didn't keep his promise, I came to like him because of his faith in Christ and his passion for sharing inspirational quotes. It was from him that I first heard this powerful quote by St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach the gospel at all times. And when necessary, use words."
In 2016, he shared an equally powerful quote but one that used many words. It read:
One of the most amazing characteristics of kings in the Bible is the way they kept a book of remembrance. It was when King Ahaseurus opened his book of remembrance that he rewarded Mordecai for saving his life. It was when King David opened his book of records that he rewarded Mephibosheth son of Jonathan his covenant friend. ... It's very important that we also keep records of those who positively influence us, not those who hurt us. They are the destiny helpers you must remember to appreciate. It could be a school teacher that inspired you when you almost dropped out of school due to bad grades. An uncle who trained you in school. A mentor that guided you through a life crisis or a friend that loaned you some money. Document their names and remember them someday. It's wisdom to remember.
I liked that quote which I've edited for clarity. Last year when I re-read it, I thought Musyoki had copied it from another source. But I didn't find it anywhere else on the internet when I googled it.
Like Musyoki, I also have a passion for sharing inspirational quotes. After I shared many of them in December 2015, he asked me where I had gotten them from. I disclosed the source when he sent me the consultation fee I charged him.
The last time he reached out to me was in 2018 when he asked me to join an organization for mentoring young people that he had started with his friends. Because I had to put my life in order, I didn't join the organization.
Last week, I was taken aback to hear on Facebook that Musyoki had passed on after a short illness. How unfortunate! His demise has reminded me of how the cruel hands of death can snatch those we cherish.
My friend Kennedy Miruka has eulogized Musyoki as a man who was "authentic in love and genuine in character". As for me, I will remember him as a wise fellow gone too soon. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
********************* RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story, you might also enjoy "A Childhood Friend".
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"Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice! Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do... Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."
~Phillipians 4:4-7 (TLB)
About the Author
Name: Thuita J. Maina Marital status: Single Lives in: Kiserian, Rift Valley, Kenya Mission: To inspire the world to godly living, one person at a time.
Just for Laughs
There was this drunkard called Azoge who loved drinking at Josiah's Bar. On being told a certain Hon. Nanga was flying to America to be conferred a law degree so that he could be admitted to the bar, Azoge replied, "Why fly all the way to America to be admitted to the bar while you can get into Josiah's Bar any time?"
The 7 Deadly Sins
Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth
Author's Note
I am learning to treat life as a journey, not a destination; I have therefore given up the things that weighed me down and I am now living my life to the fullest because the tomorrow I had always hoped to live my dreams may never be mine.
Fun Facts
The fear of having no cell-phone service, running out of battery, or losing sight of your phone is called Nomophobia, reportedly affecting 66% of people.
A single Google search needs more computing power than it took to send Apollo 11 to the moon. The Apollo computer was less equipped than a modern toaster.
Besides being some of the biggest names in the tech industry, HP, Apple, Google and Microsoft share another commonality. They all started in garages.
~Extracted from Codingforums.com
Health Tips
"So many of us take for granted the wonderful construction of the human body and the workings of its various parts. Some of us even expect it to function efficiently with less than the minimum care and attention. Learn the much you can about your body and how the care of it can help give you that greatest blessing of all - good health."
"My life in politics was a joy. I loved campaigns and I loved governing. I always tried to keep things moving in the right direction, to give more people a chance to live their dreams, to lift people's spirits, and to bring them together. That's the way I kept score."
~Bill Clinton
Scientific Marvels
Space travel
Heart surgery
Fibre-optics communication
Concorde
Radios
Computers
Anesthetics
My Supreme Desire
To borrow the words of Elbert Hubbard, my supreme desire is to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and goodwill. I wish to live without fear, hate, guilt, worry and jealousy; to be honest, natural, confident, clean in mind and body - ready to say "I do not know" if it be so; to treat all men with kindness; and to meet any loss, failure, criticism and rejection unabashed and unafraid.
Greatest American Presidents
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Franklin Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Andrew Jackson
Making Peace With the Past
"Dwell not on your past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed."
~Eileen Caddy
Toughest Colleges to Get Into
MIT
Princeton
Harvard
Yale
Stanford
Brown
Columbia
Why You Should Trust God
"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities and pour out peace."
~Ezra Taft Benson
The 7 Greatest Scientists
Albert Einstein
Isaac Newton
Galileo Galilei
Nikola Tesla
Aristotle
Archimedes
Charles Darwin
You Matter
"Always be yourself. Never try to hide who you are. The only shame is to have shame. Always stand up for what you believe in. Always question what other people tell you. Never regret the past; it's a waste of time. There's a reason for everything. Every mistake, every moment of weakness, every terrible thing that has happened to you, grow from it. The only way you can ever get the respect of others is when you show them that you respect yourself and most importantly, do your thing and never apologize for being you."
~Unknown
The Most Industrialized Nations
United States
Japan
Germany
France
United Kingdom
Italy
Canada
Keys to Success
"...in his effort to withstand temptation, to economize, to exercise thrift, to disregard the superficial for the real - the shadow for the substance; to be great yet small, in his effort to be patient in the laying of a firm foundation; to so grow in skill and knowledge that he shall place his services in demand by reason of his intrinsic and superior worth. This is the key that unlocks every door of opportunity, and all others fail."
~Booker T. Washington
The 7 Social Sins
Politics without principle
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice
Science without humanity
Cherish What You Love
"Cherish your visions, cherish your ideals, cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts - for out of them will grow all heavenly environment, of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built."~James Allen
The World's Largest Cities
London in England
New York in the United States
Tokyo in Japan
Berlin in Germany
Chicago in the United States
Shanghai in China
Paris in France
Benefits of Optimism
"In terms of success, optimistic people out perform their pessimistic colleagues. Research shows that they are consistently promoted higher and make more money while working fewer hours than those who think pessimistically. Optimists also contribute more significantly to social progress. It is the optimists who start and run successful companies, who win elections and carry out reforms, and who make breakthroughs in the realms of science and technology."
~Pepe Minambo
The World's Greatest Lakes
Caspian Sea in the Commonwealth of Independent States, C.I.S. (formerly U.S.S.R)
Lake Superior in North America
Victoria Nyanza in Central Africa
Aral Sea in C.I.S.
Lake Huron in North America
Lake Michigan in North America
Demonstrating His Love
"Take your communication for instance - the way you address others. It ought to be with loving, gracious and edifying words. Never talk people down. Never use words that hurt and demean people. Communicate excellently with others without destroying their self-image or making them feel sorry for themselves. Talk to people in a way that they never forget the excellence of your words, the love and grace of Christ that you communicated. It's how God wants us to love."
