Positive Quote For Today

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."— Maya Angelou


The Importance of Knowledge

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With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from Quote's Nest. All rights reserved worldwide.

Yesterday, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. to a beautiful morning here in Kiserian. I greeted the day with a smile and began crooning the wonderful old hymn "Angels We Have Heard on High" as I made my bed. Then I offered a prayer of thanks for the restful night I had and recited the Lord's Prayer, asking God to give me my daily bread and keep me from evil.

After praying, I went to the living room of our mansion to switch on our smart-TV, not that I wanted to watch it but so that my crippled Mum wouldn't pester me to turn it on when she went to the living room. I just didn't want to be disturbed while reading the previous day's newspaper.

Upon switching the smart-TV on, I headed to the toilet to answer a call of nature. And wa! Before I reached the toilet, I heard a minor explosion. When I turned my head in the direction of the explosion, I saw that a gadget called TV-Guard had blown up and its light-emitting diodes had gone off.

Fearing that I would be blamed for the electrical fault that had blown up the TV-Guard, I silently wished it had been someone else who had switched it on; someone like my nephew Roy who has been watching a lot of TV shows with his two sisters since they came visiting last week.

I was somewhat relieved when Dad phoned about twenty minutes later from his workplace in Nairobi to inform me there was a power surge in our home area that was destroying electrical equipment of our neighbours. (Dad had left home earlier in the morning before I woke up.)

Well, I can't quite remember if I warned other folks at home that there was a power surge in our home area. All I recall is hearing Roy tell Mum that someone wanted to have a bulb turned on so that they could see clearly. Roy switched on the bulb's socket - and bam! - the bulb blew up in a deafening sound that frightened Mum out of her wits.

I, too, was a bit shaken by the bulb's explosion which had been louder than that of the TV-Guard. So as to prevent further damage to our electrical appliances, I switched off the main switch to cut off power supply to all devices at home. Then I informed Roy that there would be no more watching of the telly since our smart-TV had also been damaged.

Besides blowing up the TV-Guard and the bulb, the power surge had also damaged two phone chargers and the extension Dad uses to connect his printer and laptop to electricity. The damn power surge was that devastating.

Fortunately, I hadn't switched on my laptop and piano keyboard - my most treasured possessions - during the power surge. They were therefore spared from damage. Since I usually shower in the afternoon, my bathroom showerhead was also spared. Oh, how I thank God that I will continue enjoying hot showers!

As luck would have it, the power surge didn't destroy the adaptor of our Wi-Fi router despite having switched it on together with the TV-Guard. I unplugged the router's adaptor just before it got damaged. The adaptor felt hot in my hands, meaning that if I had left it plugged for thirty seconds more, it would also have been damaged.

Later on yesterday as I reflected on the events of the day, I marvelled at the way a lack of knowledge on the part of Kenya Power Company employees on how to avoid supplying more power than needed caused damage to valuable electronic gadgets in my home area. And that could lead to losses for the company if it is sued for the damages.

As I reflected more, I realized that knowledge is indeed important. I think that's why God was greatly impressed when King Solomon asked Him for knowledge as it is narrated in the book of 2nd Chronicles. And I also think that's why the Bible exhorts us to get understanding, and to value wisdom and knowledge above everything else.

Realizing the importance of knowledge has made me regret why I didn't acquire more of it during my days at JKUAT where I matriculated in 2007 to pursue a degree in electronic & computer engineering. I took my studies at JKUAT lightly and eventually dropped out in 2009. How I wish I had diligently applied myself to understanding the magical world of electronic gadgets!

All the same, I am glad that over the past two years, I have been reading avidly in an effort to amass knowledge. I am discovering that acquiring knowledge is as exciting as going for a ride on a merry-go-round.

My beloved reader, I beseech you to also get into the habit of amassing knowledge. Read regularly and strive to think clearly. Let's take to heart the words of Henry Ford who said, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on the importance of knowledge, you might also enjoy another one on "Developing Mental Clarity" which I wrote about four years ago. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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Allowing Others a Mistake

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With permission, I have extracted this picture-quote from Love to Know. All rights reserved worldwide.

A certain supermarket in my hometown of Kiserian has a bakery which bakes tasty bread that I love eating for breakfast. Since I am the only one at home who feasts on that tasty bread, it usually lasts for five or six days when I buy it at the supermarket. And boy, don't I always look forward to downing that tasty bread with tea or porridge!

Last Monday when my reserve of that favorite bread of mine got finished, I decided to buy another one in the evening during my daily walk to Kiserian. I left home that Monday evening feeling as happy as a lark, confident that I would find the bread on sale at the supermarket.

Sure enough, I did find plenty of the tasty bread on sale when I entered the supermarket. As usual, I picked the one that costs Ksh. 70. And I ensured it was brown, not white, because I am keen these days to eat healthier food that will leave me bursting with health.

On picking the bread, I went to one of the supermarket cashiers to pay for it. Thankfully, there was no queue of customers on the cashier's desk as is often the case. After the cashier scanned the bread on her computerized machine, I gave her a Ksh. 200 note, expecting her to deduct Ksh. 70 for the bread. But alas! She gave me back Ksh. 110 which, in my quick thinking, made me realize she had deducted Ksh. 90.

Surprised, I inquired why she had sold the bread to me at Ksh. 90 instead of Ksh. 70 as indicated on the bread. A young lady assisting the cashier quickly intervened. Agreeing with me that the bread costs Ksh. 70, the young lady went to the supermarket bread shelf to investigate the matter. I followed her.

After confirming that the bread did indeed cost Ksh. 70, the young lady informed me that since my receipt had already been processed, there was no way I could get my Ksh. 20 back. But I protested, rather humbly, that I was being forced to pay for a mistake that was the supermarket's, not mine.

Insisting that I couldn't get back my Ksh. 20, the young lady requested me to pick a Ksh. 90 brown bread. I agreed to her request but sadly, we didn't find such bread on the shelf.

Unable to handle the matter, the young lady called two male workers of the supermarket to help her sort out the issue. They, too, confirmed that the bread was retailing at Ksh. 70 and then they made the startling realization that the bread had been packed in a nylon bag for Ksh. 90 bread. That's why the computerized laser scanner had made the cashier charge me Ksh. 90.

As the workers contemplated on what to do with the mix-up, I silently prayed that they would give me my Ksh. 20. But guess what! They summoned one of the bakers to the cashier's desk. The baker came strutting with floury hands that clearly showed he had been in the thick of baking something in the bakery. On piecing the situation together, the baker told the cashier that she should have checked the price label of the bread instead of scanning the product code.

When the baker was asked whether Ksh. 90 brown bread was available in the supermarket, he said "yes" and went for it. He came back with the bread and gave it to me. As I accepted the bread from the baker, the other supermarket workers apologized to me profusely for the mix-up.

I exited the supermarket feeling let down because the mix-up had wasted about fifteen minutes of my time. (And fifteen minutes is a lot of time to me since I can read a whole story in a Reader's Digest magazine in those minutes.) I had also been forced to buy a big Ksh. 90 bread which I wasn't quite sure if it wouldn't go bad before I finished eating it. Mind you, I don't overeat anything these days for fear of growing plump.

But I didn't want to allow the mix-up to sour my Monday evening. So I tried to look at the sunny side of the situation. And in my effort to think positively, I found myself appreciating the kindness of the supermarket's staff who had handled the matter.

Then, I came to understand the mix-up was part of the mistakes we humans make because nobody is perfect. The supermarket baker had packed the Ksh. 70 bread in a nylon bag for Ksh. 90 thinking the cashier would check the price label on the bread, only for her to scan the product code. That seemed to me like one of those reasonable mistakes that we all make.

Yes, we all make mistakes. Personally, I have committed more mistakes than I care to remember. I have forgotten some things, misplaced others and made typos in the stories I post on this blog. And I will never forget the time in 2012 when I composed an SMS for Dad and then sent it to Mum.

It's in the light of that knowledge that we all make mistakes that made me understand and forgive the supermarket staff for the mix-up that inconvenienced me last Monday evening. Five minutes or so after exiting the supermarket, I bounced back into high spirits and walked home feeling as happy as I had been earlier that evening.

My beloved reader, I exhort you to also allow others a mistake. Don't fly off the handle when others err, such as when someone misunderstands your instructions or when a child accidentally drops a plate of food on the floor. Again I say, we all make mistakes. Therefore, be forgiving and accepting of others when they blunder. That's all I am saying.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story on allowing others a mistakes, you might also enjoy another one I wrote about three years on "Mistakes That Made Me Grow". Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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Bible Quote

"Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice! Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do... Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."

~Phillipians 4:4-7 (TLB)

About the Author

Name: Thuita J. Maina
Nationality: Kenyan
Lives in: Kiserian, Rift Valley, Kenya
Mission: To inspire the world to godly living, one person at a time.

Just For Laughs

There was this drunkard named Azoge who loved drinking at Josiah's Bar. On being told a certain Hon. Nanga was flying to America to be conferred a law degree so that he could be admitted to the bar, Azoge replied, "Why fly all the way to America to be admitted to the bar while you can get into Josiah's Bar any time?"



The 7 Deadly Sins

  1. Pride
  2. Envy
  3. Gluttony
  4. Lust
  5. Anger
  6. Greed
  7. Sloth

Author's Note

I am learning to treat life as a journey, not a destination. So I am trying to enjoy each day as I anticipate to fulfill my dreams especially meeting my soulmate and traveling abroad. Tomorrow may never be mine.

Fun Facts

  1. The fear of having no cell-phone service, running out of battery, or losing sight of your phone is called Nomophobia, reportedly affecting 66% of people.
  2. A single Google search needs more computing power than it took to send Apollo 11 to the moon. The Apollo computer was less equipped than a modern toaster.
  3. Besides being some of the biggest names in the tech industry, HP, Apple, Google and Microsoft share another commonality. They all started in garages.
~Extracted from Codingforums.com

Health Tip

So many of us take for granted the wonderful construction of the human body and the workings of its various parts. Some of us even expect it to function efficiently with less than the minimum care and attention. Learn the much you can about your body and how the care of it can help to give you that greatest blessing of all - good health.


Wonders of the Modern World

  1. The Simplon Tunnel
  2. The Sky-scrapers of New York
  3. The Boulder Dam of Colorado
  4. The Panama Canal
  5. The Golden Gate Bridge
  6. The Taj Mahal at Agra in India
  7. The North Sea Oil Drilling Rigs

Great Example for Politicians

"My life in politics was a joy. I loved campaigns and I loved governing. I always tried to keep things moving in the right direction, to give more people a chance to live their dreams, to lift people's spirits, and to bring them together. That's the way I kept score."

~Bill Clinton

Scientific Marvels

  1. Space travel
  2. Heart surgery
  3. Fibre-optics communication
  4. Concorde
  5. Computers & Radios
  6. Anesthetics
  7. The atom bomb

My Supreme Desire

Although I'd like to be rich and famous, my supreme desire is to be radiant: to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and goodwill. I wish to live without hate, guilt, worry, jealousy, cynicism and envy. I wish to be honest, natural, confident, clean in mind and body - ready to say "I do not know" if it be so and to treat all men with kindness - to meet any loss, failure, criticism and rejection unabashed and unafraid.



Greatest American Presidents

  1. Abraham Lincoln
  2. George Washington
  3. Thomas Jefferson
  4. Franklin Roosevelt
  5. Theodore Roosevelt
  6. Woodrow Wilson
  7. Andrew Jackson

Making Peace With the Past

"Dwell not on your past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed."

~Eileen Caddy

Toughest Colleges to Get Into

  1. MIT
  2. Princeton
  3. Harvard
  4. Yale
  5. Stanford
  6. Brown
  7. Columbia

Why You Should Trust God

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities and pour out peace."

~Ezra Taft Benson

The 7 Greatest Scientists

  1. Albert Einstein
  2. Isaac Newton
  3. Galileo Galilei
  4. Nikola Tesla
  5. Aristotle
  6. Archimedes
  7. Charles Darwin

You Matter

"Always be yourself. Never try to hide who you are. The only shame is to have shame. Always stand up for what you believe in. Always question what other people tell you. Never regret the past; it's a waste of time. There's a reason for everything. Every mistake, every moment of weakness, every terrible thing that has happened to you, grow from it. The only way you can ever get the respect of others is when you show them that you respect yourself and most importantly, do your thing and never apologize for being you."

~Unknown

The Most Industrialized Nations

  1. United States
  2. Japan
  3. Germany
  4. France
  5. United Kingdom
  6. Italy
  7. Canada

Keys to Success

"...in his effort to withstand temptation, to economize, to exercise thrift, to disregard the superficial for the real - the shadow for the substance; to be great yet small, in his effort to be patient in the laying of a firm foundation; to so grow in skill and knowledge that he shall place his services in demand by reason of his intrinsic and superior worth. This is the key that unlocks every door of opportunity, and all others fail."

~Booker T. Washington

The 7 Social Sins

  1. Politics without principle
  2. Wealth without work
  3. Pleasure without conscience
  4. Knowledge without character
  5. Commerce without morality
  6. Worship without sacrifice
  7. Science without humanity

Cherish What You Love

"Cherish your visions, cherish your ideals, cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts - for out of them will grow all heavenly environment, of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built."~James Allen

The World's Largest Cities

  1. London in England
  2. New York in the United States
  3. Tokyo in Japan
  4. Berlin in Germany
  5. Chicago in the United States
  6. Shanghai in China
  7. Paris in France

Benefits of Optimism

"In terms of success, optimistic people out perform their pessimistic colleagues. Research shows that they are consistently promoted higher and make more money while working fewer hours than those who think pessimistically. Optimists also contribute more significantly to social progress. It is the optimists who start and run successful companies, who win elections and carry out reforms, and who make breakthroughs in the realms of science and technology."

~Pepe Minambo

The World's Greatest Lakes

  1. Caspian Sea in the Commonwealth of Independent States, C.I.S. (formerly U.S.S.R)
  2. Lake Superior in North America
  3. Victoria Nyanza in Central Africa
  4. Aral Sea in C.I.S.
  5. Lake Huron in North America
  6. Lake Michigan in North America

Demonstrating His Love

"Take your communication for instance - the way you address others. It ought to be with loving, gracious and edifying words. Never talk people down. Never use words that hurt and demean people. Communicate excellently with others without destroying their self-image or making them feel sorry for themselves. Talk to people in a way that they never forget the excellence of your words, the love and grace of Christ that you communicated. It's how God wants us to love."

~Dr. Chris Oyakhilome

World's Longest Rivers

  1. Missouri-Mississipi (U.S.)
  2. Amazon (Brazil)
  3. Nile (Egypt)
  4. Yangtse (China)
  5. Lena (Russia)
  6. Zaire (Central Africa)
  7. Niger (West Africa)