Source: Madaraka Express, from Ridiculous to Absurd
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Healthy banana cake
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A tribute to Janet Kanini Ikua
When my father dropped me at Precious Blood Riruta on my first day in Form 1 in 1993, I did not know that my life would be interwoven with your life. From the House- Ruwenzori, from the room and the decker bed. Who would have known that I would have shared the same room and bed space for 3 years!
Janet Kanini Ikua then known as Muiva, was a charming room mate and decker mate. I think she was created on the day when smiles were being dished and a light spirit was being released. I remember Janet mostly through singing and humming her way through the day- at least most of the days. It was just refreshing to watch her. As a Form One, there is a lot of fear and trepidation as you face an unknown future with totally new people. I remember I was constantly afraid, timid and not sure of myself, but Janet my roommate together with the other roommates ensured that I settled in well.
I could not make my bed properly and she would tuck the bed for me, the PB style with the mitered corners. I came from games and somehow was not able to clean my feet well and my crisp clean sheets were soiled with red earth soil and she empathized with my stress. I would forget to get my water for bathing and sometimes I would find it graciously fetched for me. Life as a Form One was more bearable and enjoyable, she would wake me up if i tended to oversleep and just fun and a joy to be around with.
Janet was an interesting person. She possessed serenity and mischief in equal measure. She could gaze out of our room window for long on Sunday afternoons when a compulsory nap was mandated by the school. I wondered what she thought about but being a sweet soul, I am sure she mused about family-especially her family.
Janet was talented in the Arts, yes she was a bright girl academically, all rounded socially but Music and Drama were her love loves. She was the school dancer! My roommate was the school Drama and Music Festivals Lead dancer. During those long days of practice, she would be exhausted and worn out and so I chose to minister to her and fetch water and ensure she was not bothered by things i could do, even washing clothes. Janet was kind, it was a joy to serve her.
When Janet left PB in 1995, I was sad, I lost a friend…our phrase was “If we do not meet on earth, make sure we meet in heaven”. For me Janet kept in touch even though the difficulty then was lack of such social media as we have today. A few months after she left, she wrote me a long 5- page letter. I do not remember much of what she wrote, all I know is that she updated me on what she was up to especially the acting and being well. I was thrilled that she considered me significant to pen such a letter to.
After that her rise was meteoric, on TV and more TV and more TV, her marriage, her father’s demise, her children and so I just told people my decker-mate is Janet. That is how I kept tabs with her. Then- Janet disappeared and when she re- emereged it was the Deep Venous Thrombosis Diagnosis.
Of course it has been a difficult journey. Janet has suffered in the body, her soul has been in anguish but I am happy to report that I met Janet about a year ago. I bumped into her at a dental x-ray clinic on Old Mutual Building. It was a short 10 minute meeting, I introduced her to my husband, did a little chit chat and exchanged contacts.
That was the last time. I saw her. Then the drama that has unfolded in the last few months unfolded. Janet finished her race in the Lord. There is no greater joy for me to know that Janet will meet me when I arrive in heaven.Janet the beautiful soul on earth not in the presence of our saviour. the one who carried her through the pain of Chemo, held her hand in the throes of fear. Halleluyah! What a saviour!
Janet leaves behind a husband and two beautiful children, her mother and her sisters together with their families. The story of Janet must be written for all to read. To inspire those suffering, to shine the Light of Jesus in the darkest days. May the family and friends be comforted to know that their loved one has run her race and finished it-well. God who has been with them continues to be a friend and a helper in time of need. I will think about you for a long long time.
In the meantime, Fare Thee Well Janne, you are at the best place any of us can be- Resting from your labours.
May the Name of the Lord Jesus Be Praised
Your Friend
Caroline Chimoyi- Kasaya
Let it rain…
The rain from heaven has finally arrived in my little corner of the world. Hurray! Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! This has been one very long dry spell as I have experienced the sun in all her glory.
I must spare a thought for my fellow countrymen and women who are suffering because of the drought that continues to ravage various parts of Kenya. I am perfectly aware that this is hard and difficult for many many people. May the rain bring relief on our parched land.
The rain brings relief to every person around as it brings growth and new life. I am happy that the rain is back because of one major commodity- water.
The water issues in Nairobi have been a thorn in many households. I considered changing houses, to estates, to cities just incase my woes with water would end. First came the ominous announcement in January that the commodity will remain rare till after March, next came the laughing water vendors praying that the rains never come so that they can make money, then came the residential flat wars of the survival for the fittest in view of this precious commodity. This is a story for another day…
It had been 4 long months since the threat became a reality and I thank God that the rains are here.
The dust of the earth has been a constant reminder of our mortality as I walked the dusty Kasarani streets. No matter how smart or well oiled one was, the dust was a permanent feature on shoes, clothes and the house. The rain washes all these away and brings freshness and peace in a waterless concrete jungle that we have lived in. Rain brings with it spring and spring is a season of new life, birth and a sign of our immortality.
Thank you Heavenly Father for the blessing of rain. Thank you for answering our prayers. Tomorrow I will walk in the early morning air with my daughter breathing in fresh air…after the drought bring on the rain Lord! Let it rain, Let it rain, Let it rain. In Jesus Name. Amen
Caroline
A Stay at Home Mom for the last 10 years. Here are my 10 reasons..
Thank you for this piece. This is a journey with the Lord and the family He has given me
Should I be a stay home parent or work outside home?
The decision to become a stay home mom was not a one-day decision for me.
It was an idea that grew with me as a result of my childhood experience of being raised by busy and overwhelmed parents. They constantly struggled with having to split their time between their business and us.
I decided that when I grew up I would be available to the ones I care about most – my children and husband
Today, I have been stay home mum for the last 10 years and I still love it
Here are my reasons:
- My children are below 15 years of age. They are very young and still need a lot of parental support and guidance. I chose to have them.
- My children are therefore my responsibility. I want to have to minimize regrets in the future.
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HOW YOU HURT YOUR FAMILY
I have been in this situation for some time and i decided to change after a particularly hard year last year. I am so glad my family is reconnected. Thanks Jacqueline for this.
Over time, I have appreciated the fact that your family could be the most available and dependable people, yet it could be one of the most easily abused pillar(s) of society.
Hurting your family is equivalent to abuse because this results from a lack of understanding as to why God gifted us with such lovely and dependable people. How you handle them could be a source of a blessing or a curse.
How do you handle yours?
This is how you hurt them knowingly or unknowingly;
- You don’t prioritize them at all!
You imagine that they understand that you are always busy and that they don’t feel bad when you don’t spare time for them.
- You think they don’t need you!
I mean, you have grown up with them! Like, 20 years+. Wasn’t that like enough time, you ask, No it wasn’t! Time with family is never enough!
- You don’t…
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HOW YOU HURT YOUR FAMILY
Source: HOW YOU HURT YOUR FAMILY
To plunge or not? That is the question
Finding God in the Stay at Home mode
I am an avid reader of blogs and articles by Christian wom
en and mothers on the topic of Stay at Home (SAH). I doubt that there is a silver bullet when it comes to tackling this scenario especially when you are in the throes of it either as one about to plunge in, one who has plunged in or one who is about to plunge out.
Like any decision you must take, as a Christian, one must pray for peace in the matter. A peace that surpasses all understanding –I must add (Philippians 4:7). This is because it is going to be a nerve wracking scenario to be in whichever way you chose. When praying as a woman one must have before them their roles in society but also their hopes and dreams in tow. God created women different from men and with specific roles irrespective of whether you are SAH, working in and out of the house mom or whatever else you are at now. Yet God not only put in you stuff (read gifts, abilities, talents and ideas) for only your kids and family, He also put in a lot else for the community and your sphere of influence.
These are tough decisions with pros and cons for each scenario, there are losses and gains yet one needs to consider all these in a healthy balance and in view of God’s will for them at the time. This calls for trust in the Lord and less focus on your very brilliant ideas-just plain trusting even in the midst of your most genius idea (Proverbs 3:5-6).
As a SAH for the last 7 months, there have been surprising things that I have come across, some normal everyday doldrums and some downright annoying things. All these keep the days busy, fun, tiring, disappointing, overwhelming, fresh and pretty much normal. But everyday, I must remember that whether I am SAH or not, God will require of me to give an account of what I did with my life and that life for now is SAH.
Prayer: Lord Help my days in this amazing season count. In Jesus Name. Amen
Caroline
Praying and Fasting
Have you ever got to a point in your life when this statement by Jesus rang true? So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting”. Mark 9:29.
Jesus who had earlier prayed and spent time alone before sending the disciples to a ready harvest was now going to teach them a new lesson. That victories over evil are not a walk in the park.
I have earlier on in my Christian walk often wondered why God allows difficult moments to follow us, interrupt our cosy lives…why is the highway to heaven more like a difficult ride on some of our rural roads?
Why must it be a fight to the death?
Well if we call ourselves followers of Jesus, we cannot choose the curriculum, but we can choose our attitude in facing every test or query. You will note with joy that at the beginning of the ministry, we meet Jesus leaving the Jordan after cousin John has baptized Him and was led (not His will) by the Spirit in to the desert to be tempted by the devil. He went there armed with prayer and fasting. You can read Luke 4:1-2.
Imagine knowing what kind of death you will die, how, by whose hand, and the number of days to the very day. Yet Jesus’ death was not ordinary, it was to achieve eternal salvation for ALL mankind. The weight was heavy. Now imagine in addition to that your arch enemy, a rebel you created and know too well, will be there to try and dissuade you because of the humanity (read weakness of body/flesh) you have adorned.
Prayer aligns our will to God…the body will kick and fight but it MUST comply…because the cause is great and the battle must be fought. Fasting subdues the body so that it does not speak above the voice of God. Fasting emboldens us against temptation. When we like Jesus our forerunner in Matthew 4:10-11 said to Satan “Away from me, Satan!” and we remind him what God says in His word…by reading it of course; then in our hour of great trouble, the angels will be sent by the Father to attend to us.
There are few things that God asks us to try Him and see…Prayer and fasting is one of them. Try Him and see, do not manipulate, Listen Listen, Be Alert, Perceive, for God speaks and acts!
Fast and Pray Today…am sure there is something heavy or light bothering you
