I really do not know how to describe you, you infinite one, you who stretches out the heavens like a curtain...
The bible says that you hold the wind in your fists...
And the waters in the hollow of your hand..
You who seats on the throne of heaven..
And make earth your footstool...
Yet, you have engraved my name in the palm of your hand..
You love me more than I could ever comprehend.
Oh my dear Lord, how you love me!!
I am so very thankful for such a love as this.
I have no words to explain my grattitude..
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:9-11
Friday, July 02, 2010
Monday, May 04, 2009
My take on love..
Love is a by-product of:
- Friendship
- Trust
- Covering my back
- Fighting fair
- knowing that you have the strength/ammunition to wound me but choosing not to.
- speaking "my love language"
- Appreciating and if I am lucky, loving those I love!
- Drawing me closer to God (the still point in my turbulent world)
- Creating space for me in your life.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Saving the best for last?
When I was child I remember eating my meat last, chicken last..
Whatever treat there was, I remember first finishing the rest of the food, be it rice, ugali etc and being left with the delicacies to loving devour :)
When I went to high school, and had to feast on the 'mbocha' filled githeri, one of my friends used to pick on the maize on her plate first and be left with beans which she would then happily 'treat' her too.
Its been many years since I left school and guess what, I have yet another friend who does the same thing. Each time we go for lunch she clears the veges and starch first then is left with the protein..
I dont really know when it is that i stopped saving the best for last?
Perhaps it was the day I woke up to the death of a loved one and realised the best is right here with you..
Perhaps it was after holding back in a relationship and playing safe.. all in the hope's that when he comes round to fully appreciating me, then I be my best? only to lose out completely.
Or perhaps its after all unjust events in the world.. hurricanes, earthquakes, famine... you name it!
I have resolved not to keep a shoe, an outfit or perfume for a special ocassion..
Each day i live is that special ocassion..
after all its a present for me to see today..
Embrace the day and live the best I can today..
Whatever treat there was, I remember first finishing the rest of the food, be it rice, ugali etc and being left with the delicacies to loving devour :)
When I went to high school, and had to feast on the 'mbocha' filled githeri, one of my friends used to pick on the maize on her plate first and be left with beans which she would then happily 'treat' her too.
Its been many years since I left school and guess what, I have yet another friend who does the same thing. Each time we go for lunch she clears the veges and starch first then is left with the protein..
I dont really know when it is that i stopped saving the best for last?
Perhaps it was the day I woke up to the death of a loved one and realised the best is right here with you..
Perhaps it was after holding back in a relationship and playing safe.. all in the hope's that when he comes round to fully appreciating me, then I be my best? only to lose out completely.
Or perhaps its after all unjust events in the world.. hurricanes, earthquakes, famine... you name it!
I have resolved not to keep a shoe, an outfit or perfume for a special ocassion..
Each day i live is that special ocassion..
after all its a present for me to see today..
Embrace the day and live the best I can today..
Thursday, October 16, 2008
SUNSCREEN by Mary Schmich - 1997 Graduation speech
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proven by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. OK, worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.
The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees.
You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll divorce at 40,
maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much
or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can.
Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents.
You never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths:
Prices will rise.
Politicians will philander.
You, too, will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy,
but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. OK, worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.
The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults.
If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees.
You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll divorce at 40,
maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much
or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can.
Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents.
You never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths:
Prices will rise.
Politicians will philander.
You, too, will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy,
but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Arrive at a clearing..
***********************************************
Perks Pearl of Wisdom
"Wanting" is the seed of dreams and believing is the nourishment that makes them possible." Bob Perks
*****************************************************
All stories copyright 2004 Bob Perks
Today's Message:
"Arrive at a Clearing"
By Bob Perks
Bob@BobPerks.com
"My life is not going as planned. I feel like I am lost in the woods and can't find my way out," the young man said.
"You are not lost. You are learning how to trust," the old man replied.
"Trust?"
"Yes, you must learn how to trust yourself and believe that every step you have taken was in the right direction."
"The right direction, old man, would have taken me out of the forest. I need to climb to the top of the mountain in life."
"Not if you were meant to learn about trees. One cannot learn about trees standing on top of a mountain."
"So, my whole life is to be lost in the woods? Trees are like obstacles that get in my way. They serve no purpose but to block my view."
"What you can't see is the obvious," the old man said. He then asked, "Do you have faith in God?"
"Yes, but I can't understand why He would leave me here. I have prayed for a way out and still I am lost."
"What you see as an obstacle, may be the answer to prayer. Instead of cursing the things before you, understand why they are there.
When you ask God for help, you cannot limit the way He helps you. You see prayer like shopping for groceries. You make a list and expect to get everything on it. God takes that list and gives you what you need most and some things you didn't ask for. You ask for success and God sends work to earn it. You ask for happiness and God sends you challenges that bring happiness. Faith is believing that when you journey into a forest you will arrive at a clearing."
The young man stood silently.
"But, my friend, your time "lost in the woods" does not mean you will always be surrounded by trees," the old man said. "The feeling of being lost in the woods means you are making your own path through life. That is a reflection of the faith God has in your ability to make it through a difficult journey. If you wanted it easy you should have stayed on the road paved by others before you.
The good news is that one day you will arrive at a clearing."
Then placing his hand on the young man's shoulder he continued.
"It is on that day when you will be thankful for the trees."
At times life can be overwhelming. Your wanting things better will not make them happen, but wanting is the seed of dreams and believing is the nourishment that makes them possible.
If your journey has been difficult and you feel "lost in the woods," stop for a moment and ask God to tell you about the trees that surround you. They were placed there not to block your view, but help you to appreciate the day you, too will "arrive at a clearing."
"I believe in you!"
Bob Perks
Bob@BobPerks.com
Perks Pearl of Wisdom
"Wanting" is the seed of dreams and believing is the nourishment that makes them possible." Bob Perks
*****************************************************
All stories copyright 2004 Bob Perks
Today's Message:
"Arrive at a Clearing"
By Bob Perks
Bob@BobPerks.com
"My life is not going as planned. I feel like I am lost in the woods and can't find my way out," the young man said.
"You are not lost. You are learning how to trust," the old man replied.
"Trust?"
"Yes, you must learn how to trust yourself and believe that every step you have taken was in the right direction."
"The right direction, old man, would have taken me out of the forest. I need to climb to the top of the mountain in life."
"Not if you were meant to learn about trees. One cannot learn about trees standing on top of a mountain."
"So, my whole life is to be lost in the woods? Trees are like obstacles that get in my way. They serve no purpose but to block my view."
"What you can't see is the obvious," the old man said. He then asked, "Do you have faith in God?"
"Yes, but I can't understand why He would leave me here. I have prayed for a way out and still I am lost."
"What you see as an obstacle, may be the answer to prayer. Instead of cursing the things before you, understand why they are there.
When you ask God for help, you cannot limit the way He helps you. You see prayer like shopping for groceries. You make a list and expect to get everything on it. God takes that list and gives you what you need most and some things you didn't ask for. You ask for success and God sends work to earn it. You ask for happiness and God sends you challenges that bring happiness. Faith is believing that when you journey into a forest you will arrive at a clearing."
The young man stood silently.
"But, my friend, your time "lost in the woods" does not mean you will always be surrounded by trees," the old man said. "The feeling of being lost in the woods means you are making your own path through life. That is a reflection of the faith God has in your ability to make it through a difficult journey. If you wanted it easy you should have stayed on the road paved by others before you.
The good news is that one day you will arrive at a clearing."
Then placing his hand on the young man's shoulder he continued.
"It is on that day when you will be thankful for the trees."
At times life can be overwhelming. Your wanting things better will not make them happen, but wanting is the seed of dreams and believing is the nourishment that makes them possible.
If your journey has been difficult and you feel "lost in the woods," stop for a moment and ask God to tell you about the trees that surround you. They were placed there not to block your view, but help you to appreciate the day you, too will "arrive at a clearing."
"I believe in you!"
Bob Perks
Bob@BobPerks.com
New Beginnings...
The death of a thing is always the beginning of another..
The weakest animal dies
The flower blooms then withers and dies...
The cycle of life must continue…
We too like flowers are here today… and gone tomorrow..
Every scenario in life presents an obstacle and an opportunity..
Which one shall i choose?
Life should be about making everything count..
Every tiny moment should be celebrated.. its unique.. it shall never come back!
In a thousand seeds only 3 may sprout into huge plants..
Life is about change…
Change is hard... painful..
Change also brings with it fulfillment and accomplishment..
From a seed comes forth an oak tree..
From a larvae comes forth a butterfly.
A friendship undefined becomes a balanced fulfilling one...
hurts in the past frame pillars of strength..
To be without becomes the womb that births ambition..
obstacles are opportunites waiting to be tapped!
The weakest animal dies
The flower blooms then withers and dies...
The cycle of life must continue…
We too like flowers are here today… and gone tomorrow..
Every scenario in life presents an obstacle and an opportunity..
Which one shall i choose?
Life should be about making everything count..
Every tiny moment should be celebrated.. its unique.. it shall never come back!
In a thousand seeds only 3 may sprout into huge plants..
Life is about change…
Change is hard... painful..
Change also brings with it fulfillment and accomplishment..
From a seed comes forth an oak tree..
From a larvae comes forth a butterfly.
A friendship undefined becomes a balanced fulfilling one...
hurts in the past frame pillars of strength..
To be without becomes the womb that births ambition..
obstacles are opportunites waiting to be tapped!
Mushroom Cloud...
Trip! Felt the need for a holiday even if it’s for a day…
Could never have imagined meeting someone in just a day...
Or that I could connect and throw caution to the wind that day…
Perhaps I needed to lick some salt or gaze at some dikdiks...
Riding to the sanctuary we spoke, laughed and our eyes communicated...
My heart whispered to me, “I like his eyes, and smile” and my mind nodded in agreement.
If this is an adventure then let me be a damsel in distress and let you be the knight in shinning armour..
If this be a fairy tale let me be sleeping beauty and you the prince with the magical kiss! .
Someone who draws feelings of warm heartfelt closeness and camaraderie from me..
Someone who sits with me as I struggle with mathafu gently explains the formulas..
Someone who offers to cook dinner and quietly becomes a chef!
Someone I share Me with… the deepest parts, unafraid of ridicule or judgment..
Someone to sleep next to with a tiny smile of satisfaction…
Someone to share ideas on career, and this beautiful life!
My mushroom cloud.
Could never have imagined meeting someone in just a day...
Or that I could connect and throw caution to the wind that day…
Perhaps I needed to lick some salt or gaze at some dikdiks...
Riding to the sanctuary we spoke, laughed and our eyes communicated...
My heart whispered to me, “I like his eyes, and smile” and my mind nodded in agreement.
If this is an adventure then let me be a damsel in distress and let you be the knight in shinning armour..
If this be a fairy tale let me be sleeping beauty and you the prince with the magical kiss! .
Someone who draws feelings of warm heartfelt closeness and camaraderie from me..
Someone who sits with me as I struggle with mathafu gently explains the formulas..
Someone who offers to cook dinner and quietly becomes a chef!
Someone I share Me with… the deepest parts, unafraid of ridicule or judgment..
Someone to sleep next to with a tiny smile of satisfaction…
Someone to share ideas on career, and this beautiful life!
My mushroom cloud.
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