Coping during these perilous Coronavirus Season.

I haven't penned on this personal blog for such a long time! Now that the whole world has been urged to go on self quarantine and keeping social distance, I bet it is a high time I reconnect with this blog as a way to keep myself occupied.

Its been two weeks now since our Kenyan government announced its first Covid-19 case. I will not even dare go into details of what this virus is all about. I have had enough of familiarization of it and am sure you reading this has had an over indulgence from the overwhelming social media updates all over.

Anyways, I have been at home with my immediate family doubling, no tripling, actually quadrupling many tasks. See I lost my long time serving help-at-home (nanny / domestic manager) in December last year to her newly found spouse.(Post for another day.) As such I have been wearing and playing many of her hats including housekeeping chores like dish washing, cooking,laundry amongst a few. But I have also doubled as a teacher to my children, wife to my husband, home nurse, business partner, prayer warrior to mention a few.

These chores have left me drained, not that am complaining.I wouldn't change anything major in the near future.

So anxiety knocked at our mind doors and somehow managed to sneak in without our notice. Sleeping till 11am hasn't been anything unusual, playing kati, msongesho, snakes and ladder, monopoly, chess, draughts among other games has helped ease the anxiety.

I hear the new terminology of staying indoors is called "Cabin fever" . To beat this, my family has indulged in a trekking routine (about 8 -10 kms) once a week when the weather permits.

We have also discovered many ways of producing a meal using potatoes. You see being a kikuyu lady, practically every meal / dish is cooked using "warus" But well, we have had to go to Dr. You tube to find us some new potato recipes otherwise the monotony of the usual mkikuyu waru broth would bore us to eternity.

But in reality, what is it that you can do to cope with the pressure of this pandemic and its worldwide effects? I found the following to help:

• Talk Therapy (whether on a social level or professional one with a trained counselor or therapist. I am lucky I have many girlfriends I can call on and they would listen to my rants just as I would listen to them on their bad days. I also have a personal Counselor who I escalate matters mental purely for direction.
• Exercise. Find a comfortable routing and exhale out any negative energy. Skipping helps a lot and its a common one. Planks, seat ups, jog within your living room if you are void of a garden or compound. Anything that makes you sweat is worthwhile.
• A long walk: Observing all social distancing and hygiene precautions, a walk while playing your favorite play list or motivational talks helps you shed some calories as well as well is keep your cholesterol low.
• Enrol on an online class: Whether it is a language course, musical instruments, business / entrepreneurial or any course you have wanted to enroll in but haven`t found time to would be helpful. The long term benefit of this would be brain engagement that is known to reduce early onset of dementia. 
• Bury yourself into a fiction novel or any written articles/ genre of your choice. Reading is one of my escape hideouts. I can lock myself for days in my world of fictional books. One of my favorite is by Francine Rivers (A christian fiction author) I have read most of her books. Paul Coelho is another category.  
• Garden: Whether pot gardening or kitchen garden. It is very therapeutic and you will have organically grown vegetables or produce from the effort of your hands. I found the following pinterest garden ideas inspirational. 

There is so much that you can do during this lock down season.

What have you done with your time while on the global lock down?

A heavy burden for my country Kenya

Watching all political errands and patronization happening in my beloved country Kenya, i am left with wonder on who to elect to the esteemed political offices. We have a few sober choices especially to the highest offices of this country in particular the presidency, gubernatorial and senate respectively.

1. Our budgetary allocations and expenditure will sky rocket come the new government.
2. Inflation rates will go high before, during and immediately after the elections
3. Chances of hate speech and emotive feelings are high as we speak 
4. We are in a very delicate transition period from the immediate past elections and this year`s elections. The victims of PEV are still lingering and wallowing in poverty not to mention emotional disabilities. Some are still very bitter with their attackers and mostly them that were "neighbors" yet evicted them and committed atrocities to them. Only God can truly heal the hurts of these victims.  
5. What is my place / my role in this transition? How do I positively influence the people i interact with? I claim to be a Christian. A Christian does what Christ would have done were He hither during this transition year. I hear Christ saying:
   
   • "Pray without ceasing" 
   • "Some of these stubborn spirits do not go away unless by fervent prayer and FASTING" 
   • "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" 
   • "Are you a good samaritan given the odds that this life has presented you with?" 
   • "Do not let your right hand know what your left is giving" "He who prays in Secret, God will honor him in public" 
   
   And so i will choose to pray and fast fervently for my nation before anything catastrophic happens to us, our future generations and all who depend heavily on this nation economically and socially. Atleast this will go along way in touching God`s heart regarding this nation. As i opt to go this direction, what will you do my fellow Kenyan? I leave you with the recent prophesy captions from a humble sister & prophetess - Evangelist Teresia Wairimu Share this if you can: 

"Hi all, This is an email I received from a friend so decided to copy and paste it here. Let's pray for our beloved country especially as we approach the elections. Be blessed. Hi people, This is the message shared by Rev Teresa Wairimu last Sunday. A friend of mine transcribed her notes and has given me license to circulate to my friends for the express purpose that we are all spurred on to pray. Please remember that when you accept the burden to pray, the Lord shall baptise you with the spirit of grace and supplication. Zech 12:10. Baraka tele. =======================

Hi dear, I hope your keeping well. Yesterday I happened to attend Rev. Teresa Wairimu meeting where she was giving her prophesy for Kenya for 2013. In case you might not be aware, she has been doing this for years and so far all her prophesies have been known to come true. Some of the things that she prophesied in 2012 include:
• Death of 3 prominent leaders • Increase of bank interest rates • Very high cost of living • Kenya to become more secular (case in point we allowed the Gay & Lesbians awards and we almost legalized prostitution)
• Politically we were to see a lot of merging and “divorcing ” of parties, etc Anyway, yesterday ’s message was:

Theme for Year 2013: A NEW DAWN
This being Kenya ’s Jubilee year and also an election year, it means that there will be a lot of transitions.Anything can go wrong in the season of transition. We will be trying to implement the new constitution which will come with its fair share of hiccups.

The downside of 2013:
• It will be extremely difficult for leaders to agree
• Political disputes will be the order of the day
• Governance of this nation will be very difficult. Woe unto those running for office …;
• She saw a lot of unrest
• Some of the disagreement will cause division in the nation
• She saw fire burning some plain lands – lots of it
• She saw fire burning boarding schools, churches, State House, buildings, etc
• A politician will try to destroy the country by setting food crops on fire
• MRC are trying to start a massacre in Coast. They ’ve already received ammunition from the Middle East
• Moments of shame & disgrace on International Media
• Danger will not be absent in the days to come – we should particularly pray for schools in the Central and Coastal regions
• There is a leader(s) who are trying to get into agreements with our neighbouring countries and other foreign countries. This will result in Kenyans becoming refugees.
• If we are not careful we might miss our visitation – Jubilee- just like the Jews missed their visitation when the Messiah came
• Churches will have wolves instead of shepherds – the sheep will cry out to YHWH and He will hear them
• Church operations shall be very difficult. Pastors shall be required to be accountable on account of the new regulations by govt to curb church fund misuse. Some organizations will shut down
• We will have a more messed up society (homosexuals, etc – the weird factor will increase) When she saw the plains burning there was a question that came to her spirit – can a nation be on fire and survive, can beauty come out of ashes? The Lord told her that we – the church in Kenya should hunger for righteousness. Our country should not go back to ashes again (remember 2007/2008).

We must guard this nation with prayers. There are evil plans, do not be deceived by what you see – go back to the closet and seek God. There is a Spirit of Sabotage looming over Kenya. Families should pray, and churches should unite otherwise what has been prophesied will come to pass. However, we should meditate on the books of Jonah and Esther.
What had been prophesied did not come to pass as the people turned back to YHWH, fasted and prayed and God heard their prayers. This is the Year of the Jubilee therefore; we should not oppress one another. Issues of land were resolved on the 50th year. – Lev 25:8. We should have the IDPs resettled. Jubilee is meant to give EVERYONE a new beginning.

The upside of 2013:
• The number “13 ” in 2013 is of great significance in the Jewish traditions – it signified the time when a boy transitioned into a young adult. We all need to step up and become responsible for our actions. We should pray, observe the Sabbath, the commandments, etc.
• Dawn comes before the break of day (4:30am) after which things become uncovered /emerge. Dawn comes with good times but also with judgment and exposure. The Israelites were enslaved for 430 years by the Egyptians. On the night of the Passover, there were two camps. One for the Israelites who were celebrating that God had “passed over ” their homes and they knew that finally they will be freed while the second camp was for Egyptians who were mourning the death of their firstborns – children, animals, etc. The Israelites burnt all their leftovers since it was dawn – a new beginning. IF we pray, the people who are trying to destroy the country will be exposed and there will be mourning in their camps.
• Moses asked for some of the possessions of the Egyptians when they were ordered to leave and the Egyptians gave them a lot – the Israelites plundered them. Technically speaking, the Egyptians were just paying for the 430 years of slavery.
• This means that your payday is coming. You will not get sacked for nothing and if you do, they will pay dearly. This only applies to those who worked and labored – MPs are not included here. They want a send-off package? No problem, we will send you home on our knees. We need leaders who honor God.
• Dawn is an open time, a time of emergence. Things begin to spring up and develop. Dawn comes with change and expansion. One is able to perceive danger. At dawn, darkness begins to wear thin – darkness cannot withstand day. The dawn will give everyone an opportunity to become somebody. At 4:30 things change. “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning ” Psalm 30:5 Your prayer items should be:
• The church in Kenya has been called to a period of fasting in the month of February 2013.
• Pray that the country will turn back to YHWH for we have become a secular nation.
• God will give you what you ask for – please do not be bought. Pray for God fearing leaders.
• Pray against the spirit of sabotage.
• Pray to bind all the chaos before it happens. It is easier to bind the spirits than to rebuke.
• All the leaders planning evil things to be exposed.
• That Kenya will not miss her visitation This is my own abbreviated version of the message.

I think they will be producing DVDs for that meeting so you can try and get a copy. That notwithstanding, what I know without a shadow of doubt is that - If ever Kenya needed God, we need Him now. Please mobilize your Christian friends and start praying IMMEDIATELY. You will notice that the good part of the message is wholly dependent on whether we avert the bad part. E.g. what will it profit you to have the best business plan and no country to implement it? The destiny of this land lies on your knees. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ” 2 Chronicles 2:14"

A threat to kill

Today marks an interesting day in my life. Just a few minutes ago, someone very close to my heart threatened to kill me. I am not joking! The feeling of betrayal, being taken for granted and back stabbing is all i could feel at that very moment of this encounter. His failure to achieve personal goals, low self esteem, a hurt ego is all i could attribute towards this encounter with my supposedly would be hacker. Haiya! yani shit happens. I am at peace knowing i did what I could do, gave all i could possibly have given without any reservations.

This is such a unique encounter! scary but am choosing to look at it from a different twist. I am glad i was a punching line where this dear person did resolve at releasing his steams. I don't know if this person was trying to play psychology with me or if he meant his words.I must be so naive to think otherwise. I now have a good reason to cut my communications with this so would be hacker of my life.... I am still shaken by this flip of encounter...haiya...God give me a heart full of your peace. A heart full of forgiveness and a heart that forebears my enemies. Of how these enemies can be lethal...but I have a super shield... I love you Jesus who is my shield and my comfort.

Despite all these, I will up my hope in you and sharpen my focus on things eternal Till my next post...adios

LETS STOP HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENTS!!!!!!

Borrowed this article from a friends timeline...

"Ladies & gentlemen, please join me in this campaign.This was the brother of a very close friend of mine.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST HIT-AND-RUN MOTOR ACCIDENTS.

Recently we lost a brother, Clifford Best Nyabwari through a hit- and- run motor accident along the newly renovated Thika Superhighway. The driver hit him, dragged him a couple of metres away and sped off. Several vehicles ran over him in the early morning of 29th September 2012. Our brother Clifford Best was badly messed up in that horror accident. Tension built up from 2nd Tuesday October and the search for our brother ended up at the city mortuary.

As family and friends we come out openly urging the public to STOP HIT-AND-RUN motor accidents. As a competent driver, stop, check on the victim and own it up. It is time to say: enough is enough. What are we all waiting for; to only feel this pain when we lose a loved one? Is the trauma all around us not a sufficient call to action?

Clifford Best Nyabwari was only 31. That Saturday morning, he became part of statistics of Kenyans dying every day in avoidable road related accidents. Just like many ‘ordinary deaths’ Cliff’s may never attract any national attention: no commission of inquiry will be engaged; flags won’t fly at half-mast neither will there be a presidential visit to the family.

LETS STOP HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENTS!!!!!! —

 

May Clifford rest in peace.

 

 

Still cant understand this paradox

I am still baffled at how people can choose to be so uncouth and inconsiderate for lack of better words. Most paranoiac especially if the ugly behavior comes from a close family member.

One of my close friends happened to encounter a serious financial challenge when a sister of his became a circumstance of a road accident. *Anne (not her real name for identity protection) didn't have any travel or medical insurance. Hence at the time of her accident, she was admitted to one of the prestigious hospitals and the brother had to cough the deposit required for proper medical care that was delicate at the time.

After all these incidence, this pal of mine goes ahead and calls for a harambee (fund raiser) and manages to collect a few dimes here and there. He even went ahead and extended this call to his dad and mum who have been separated for a long time now. 

Guess what happens to the couple? They each raise funds with their friends respectively and manage to raise a substantial amount of money that could have otherwise sorted the then outstanding hospital bill...the surprise then comes when both parents end up consuming the funds...the funds that were meant to offset a hospital bill for their only daughter!!!! How unconscious can these very blood relatives who brought their daughter into this world be? Someone make me understand!! it is still a puzzle to me....now my friend is left with a huge bill to struggle with because apparently he had signed off his small business as a guarantor by virtue of post dated cheques. God help us all.

The days are indeed evil. If your blood parents can be this greedy and put their needs ahead of their child`s, then i do not know how we will live in the next generation.

I will share a little story copied - borrowed from a fan page
What  you choose to feed in your personalities is what gains more strength and weight...



The Eagle and the Wolf (By David Edwards from the book, "One Step Closer")

On the wall of a correctional center in Atlanta, a poem written in grease pencil caught my eye. It read:

"The Eagle And The Wolf

There's a battle between the eagle and the wolf.
The eagle inside of me represents everything that is
good and pure. And even though it soars through the valleys,
it still lays its eggs on the mountain tops. There's a wolf inside of me.
And the wolf preys upon my weaknesses and justifies itself in the presence of the pack.

Who will win the war between the eagle and the wolf?"

There was a big space and then there were the following words written by someone else: "The one that you feed."

I'll never forget the power of those words scrawled on that wall. Who wins the battle for your mind? The one you choose to feed. Who wins the battle between right and wrong? The one you choose to feed.

What thoughts are you feeding? Are you filling your life with God's truth, or are you feeding it a steady diet of TV, materialism, and out-of-control habits. It's easy to become desensitized and conformed to this world. But God calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, to take every thought captive, and to be doers of the Word.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

The story below is an extract from a friend`s facebook profile. As I read through, I felt like I was watching a Naija movie only that the content therein is real. Orgies that happen in real life and have such serious repercussions in the spiritual realm and translates serious manifestation.

True Life Story............Pls Read on and Share for others to learn

A MUST READ FOR ALL LADIES

"Hi, I am Tonia (not real name), a girl who has fears, beliefs, reservations and just your regular typical Nigerian girl. This past few weeks has been one hell of a game for me. I have really been unsettled and I thought I share this story with you. 

"When Cynthia (the lady killed in the hotel room in Festac, Lagos) surfaced on the internet and various news media, I was scared and it brought back a whole lot of memories to me and also served as and eye opener. Many people castigated and criticised Cynthia (may her gentle soul rest in peace), but my point is, it could have been anybody, anybody at all.

"We have met people through various social media. Some have ended up well, some have not but with painful memories. To cut the long story short, let me kindly share with you my encounter with social media especially the very popular Blackberry Messenger (BBM).

"I am a graduate and currently serving in Kaduna. I could have runced it, but I needed somewhere to clear my head and forget about my ugly encounter. Here is my story.

"I happened to have a married man as a contact on my BBM. He had been asking me out for over six months and I refused to date him. As time went on, he invited me clubbing with him when his wife was outside the country, and I went with him all night. We spent most of the night at Swe bar, Lagos.

"I also met his clique of friends, married as well with their various mistresses. We had 'mad' fun. After all the clubbing and drinking, he lodged me in a hotel somewhere in Obalende. I felt sort of safe with him. We did not have sex, but he made sweet love to me and touched me in places I had never ever imagined.

"He kissed me passionately but guess what? He did not have sex with me. We did all sorts but there was no penetration. So, to an extent, I trusted he was a good person to be around with. I did not know that it was all part of the plan.

"He gave me N10,000 and put me in a cab to go home the next morning. We kept talking and chatting and sending naked pictures to each other and he told me naughty things of how he wanted to whisper things in my ear, I blushed. We didn't see for two weeks and that was because his wife just came back from Turkey.

"One faithful evening, he pinged me that he was organising a beach party/boat cruise and that he would love for me to be his date and that he wanted to open a BBM chat, as a medium for his friends and my friends to interact. I was excited about it, I just wanted to have fun. I was able to get five of my very hot friends.

"The BBM group opened and we got chatting. I also realise that majority of them were married and working in reputable firms. It was fun and we didn't mind if they were married, we just wanted to have fun, as well as some other girls apart from my friends in the group.

"We chatted exclusively, sent pictures to the BBM group to introduce ourselves, and we had opened group conversations pending the beach party. And as excited as we were, we went shoping for nice sexy beach wears.

"The D-day finally came, we all assembled at the Lagos Island Boat Club. I was wowed because it was a high class party. We were cruising in a boat loaded with goodies drinks and hot babes, and as well 'MARRIED MEN'. I did not care, I just said in my mind that I would not roll with married men anymore after this, that for now, all I wanted to do was to catch some fun. After all, I wasn't paying bills.

"We got there, it was a private beach resort. Most of the beach facilities I got to see there were owned by multinational companies. We got out of the boat, and went to where we were partying. It was a duplex made with wood. It was a very nice setting.

"I felt comfortable because it even had a fence around it separating it from other beach houses around. So, there was privacy and of course bouncers (heavy looking guys) guarding the place. I said to myself, this must be heaven, I must be dreaming.

"Anyways, we felt free with each other because we had been chatting. It was 5:30pm and the party just started. We had drinks flowing from the private bar tender which happens to be owned by one of the men in the group. Reality struck when I realised that I was feeling dizzy and feeling really funny and light headed. Not only me, but other girls around me too noticed there was something strange about it.

"I was also feeling HORNY as hell! I had been drugged. They monitored us and when they knew the drug had really gone deep into our system, they moved us up into the main beach house. I could still see faces, but was too weak and horny to react.

"Mr B, the man who took me clubbing, carried me in his hands like a sacrifice and put me down on the floor just as other men also did with their girls. We were eight in numbers; 8 girls, 8 guys, and they all stripped us down and had sex with us.

"I enjoyed it a bit because I was horny. It was a mixed feeling because I cried, I moaned, but I did not know how many times he came into me. He pounded me hard. I was dizzy, but he grabbed me with force. All I could notice was the wedding ring on his finger. I thought of how wicked and miserable some married can be. How inhuman and heartless they could be.

"All of them took turns in switching partners and slept with all of us. I passed out. That was the last thing I could remember. I felt water poured on me. I noticed all the other girls around me too were half naked and some stark naked.

"We spent the night at the beach, but the men were no where to be found. I looked round me and all I could see was packs of used condoms. I ran to pick my cloths and possibly raise an alarm. I got dressed, found my phone with an envelope. It contained N16,000 and a note asking us to take N2000 each for transport. Tears of anger and rage filled my eyes and the girls around me as well.

"We were drugged and used like tissue paper. I grabbed my phone and noticed a ping came in. I checked my phone and I noticed the BBM group had been deleted, and a message via BBM from MR B came in. He threatened me that if I say a word to anyone, I would regret it.

"I told him he was a bastard, and he said try it. A picture came in, several pictures. In fact, they were pictures of us being naked on the floor. Pictures of the humiliating us but they blurred the faces of the men. In total, I got 20 pictures. I was not myself for a month.

"I went back to school, I had no one to talk to. The rest of the semester was hell for me. My CGPA dropped drastically. It was the worst out of the worst result I ever had.

"Till today, my friends and I have not discussed this with anyone, but all I could do when I heard of Cynthia's story was to narrate my own ordeal anonymously and spread the news, the word, and pray they see it and changed their ways.

"I am now born again. I have given my life to Christ. I fear men so much that I cannot even move close to them. I still have nightmares, but with time, God will strengthen me and I will move on. My advice to single ladies out there is, do not be desperate for fun. Pray to God to open your eyes of understanding, and pray hard. He who kneels before God will stand before kings and queens.

"To all married women, pray hard to God to intervene in your marriages and turn your husbands from bad habits to and bad friends. As for me, I do not think I ever want to get married or date a man again. That chapter has been closed for good in my life.

Please, do not ignore my mail. Please post it. There are a lot of things we ladies need to learn including you. Please post it on your blog and save a soul. It could be your friend, sister, cousin, neighbour.

"God bless you as you pass it on. To all readers, I do not care if you insult me or rain abuses at me. My job is to share this encounter with you and save you from any mishap. God bless you all. Amen."

My birthday

Mhhhh today marks my 36th Birthday! How do I feel? I feel great!

1. I thank God for blessing me with a petite body frame otherwise I`d be feeling OLD :(- 
2. That can only mean one thing! I feel much younger than my age. And this is a great feeling! I have a new hair cut...ati shaggy locks + maroon permanent dye.

Here is the me-new look :)-
(the  photo has refused to upload itself....will try again sometime later)

My latest look

What a transformation?
From this, (ya that is - was my hair incase you are wondering)

When i was a young gal

To this, (This was after loosing quite some hairline during breastfeeding of my precious daughter)

A long bob after giving birth to Pendo

Plain afro

Then grew some baby / immature locks for three weeks! (I couldn't handle the whiteness the gel always left my scalp with every single day. And so i went to my hairdresser who had fixed them locks and requested her to wash them away! Would you believe the shock this gave her?...i saw the feeling of disappointment in her eyes...but yes, them whitish locks / scalp and itchy one for that matter had to be dealt with.) Off i went completely natural for sometime.

Then finally i got something that i really like and am comfortable with...and lets see how far we will go with this "shaggy" look