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


A Fulfilling Career & a Happy Marriage

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

Before she died about a year ago, my mother was concerned about my future. She wanted me to get a wife, and even told me that she was ready to help me raise a family. I understood her concern.

My father has taken up the issue Mum was raising. Several weeks ago, he asked me what my future plans are and reminded me that I should be having a family.

I have also felt left behind. But I was recently comforted when I read of a lady who got married at 40 and had a child. For a woman, that's a late age to marry. So I am not badly off. I turned 37 yesterday.

Still, I desire to get engaged. However, I will not spend time looking for my dream woman like I foolishly did in the past. I have left the task to God because I am convinced that only a match made in heaven will lead to a happy marriage.

As I said a few years ago, it is good I have been single given the way I was lazy, timid and addicted to adult clips - certainly not the kind of traits any right-thinking woman would want in a man. I was just not a husband material.

Owing to my laziness and timidness, I have never been moneyed. And money, I have realized, is very important. We need it to meet our needs and enjoy a decent lifestyle.

Even the Bible recognises the importance of money. It says in the book of Proverbs that young people should not build a house and establish a home until their fields are ready, and they are sure they can earn a living.

Over the last four years, I have strived to mold myself into a diligent, courageous and morally upright young man. Having succeeded in my efforts, I now feel I am fit to be in a relationship. If only I had money!

When it comes to making money, I believe we should do so through a fulfilling career. As for me, I experimented with several careers before I discovered that blogging is my calling. It makes use of my talents in writing, singing, piano-playing and public speaking.

I always feel delighted when I post on this blog a story or a video that I think is wonderful. What delights me even more is when people send me feedback, telling me they have enjoyed my posts.

Well, creating this blog to what it looks like now has been a challenging journey that I began in 2013. And the far God has brought me makes me confident that I will be a success.

Already, I am generating a little income from the Google ads on my blog, even while I am asleep when people in other time zones visit the blog. What's more, the contents I posted several years ago still earn me money when people view them.

Since I am earning peanuts, I desire to grow my blog audience and network with like-minded people. I am however too cash-strapped to place adverts for increasing my social media followers.

At the moment, it's unclear to me how I should grow my blog audience. I am just improving the quality of my blog contents while trusting God to show me the way forward. This advice by pastor Charles Swindoll is my guiding principle:
We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn't come naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.
Should I start earning top dollar from blogging this year as I have petitioned God, I will always remain indebted to my kid brother Symo. He has been very supportive in what I do. May God bless him abundantly for being such a caring brother.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on having a fulfilling career and a happy marriage, you might also enjoy another one on "Finding a Wife" which I wrote some time back. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.

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Books I Enjoyed in 2024

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This is me holding the books I enjoyed reading this year.

2024 was a challenging year for me because I lost my mother in January and faced several challenges afterwards. Were it not for my love of reading which kept me grounded, I wonder how I would have fared. God be thanked for books!

I however regret finishing books that didn't excite me at all. And it's not that someone forced me to finish the books. It's just that I have had a tendency to read to the end most books I pick, a whopping blunder.

Next year, I will follow the rule of my friend Joseph Mazzella who once remarked that he doesn't waste precious moments of his life reading a book that isn't entertaining, enlightening or inspiring. So I will be only finishing those books that I'll give a 4- or 5-star rating.

As I wrote a few years ago, I have given a 1-star rating to those books I didn't finish, a 2-star to those I finished but didn't understand, a 3-star to those I understood but didn't captivate me, a 4-star to those that captivated me but not that much, and a 5-star to those that captivated me very much.

Since I have resolved to only finish books that I"ll give a 4- or 5-star rating, it's only right if I mention in this story the ones that captivated me this year. And they weren't many as I am not yet rich enough to shop for numerous books.

First is Immaculee Ilibagiza's Left to Tell. This is a riveting memoir about the author's experiences during the horrific genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994. As I read Immaculee's account of how God sustained her through every trial, I felt encouraged to trust in divine intervention.

Second is Ben Carson's Think Big. This book reads both like a memoir and self-help book. Written in a plain, natural style we wouldn't expect from a neurosurgeon, the book gave me an idea of the kind of voice I will be seeking in the books I read.

Third is Stephen R. Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I found this book to be well written when I re-read it this year. It has an extraordinary depth and solidity that made me admire the author's knowledge and confidence in his own ideas.

Fourth is Encounters From Africa, an anthology of short stories by African writers. I was pleased, perhaps even elated, when I received a copy of this book which I studied nineteen years ago for my final high school exams. Its stories are rattling good reads.

Fifth is the 2024 Our Daily Bread devotional book. Just like those of previous years, I enjoyed this devotional book. It was written in an empathetic tone that stimulated my faith in God.

Well, I have a weakness of reading devotional books in several sittings instead of studying only one devotion each day for a year as the publishers recommend. Or maybe it's a strength because I still absorb much from the books.

Last but not least is The Butterfly Box, a novel by Santa Montefiore. Though big, it was the most delightful novel by a Western writer that I have ever read. It was also enlightening as it made me know that wealth and sexual attraction do not always lead to satisfying relationships.

Upon finishing the novel, I googled the author's name, went to her website and sent her an email, telling her the novel was one hell of a great read. She wrote back and began her reply with "Dear Thuita". I felt honored to hear from an author of her caliber.

The above books have deepened my love of reading so much that I am now not afraid to be seen having my nose in a book. After all, reading a book is like scrolling a smartphone. Why should I therefore be afraid of holding a book during a get-together?

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've liked the above story on the books I enjoyed in 2024, you might also like another one on the books I read in 2022. 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 striving to enjoy each moment even 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. Radios
  6. Computers
  7. Anesthetics

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)