Hello again, as usual I am back with some thoughts I thought we could share. As you read from the title, today I want to discuss on the issue of friendship.
I am blessed to have a few friends, and when I say friends, I mean those who pick me up when I am down, those who are there for me and with me be it in good times or bad times, those who love me when I am at my best and love me when I am at my worst. The list is endless, but the most important of all is that these people whom I consider to be my friends, they are those who will tell me the truth even if it hurts, because they do it out of love.
Living away from home I have realised that in the multitude of people that surround us and laugh with us, the multitude that we meet on different networks, be it facebook, hotmail live, yahoo live, my space and many more, only few are real friends.
One preacher put it simply that in the world we have different types of people, we have confidants, these will be people whom you can trust and discuss your life matters and important issues with because you TRUST them and they TRUST you.
Then you have comrades, these are those friends who are with you for a certain cause, simply you are fighting the same battle, and when that battle or common cause is over so is the friendship.
Then you have colleagues, these are people you find yourself with at work, in church or other gatherings. People you can chit chat with about nothing really than just the things that you share in common, work, church, sports, politics and all common social matters.
From this list of different people that we meet everyday it is very important to know whom you are dealing with, whether its a confidant, a comrade, or a coleague.
A comrade will leave when the cause is over, a coleague will be with you only when its comfortable to be with you, a confidant will always be there to listen and talk to you, and a true friend will always be there for life.
True friends will still remain whether you be separated by distance, whether things are good or bad in your life, they will find time to be with you, to care for you and love you.
When you find a true friend you are blessed, becuase they are a rare commodity.
I am blessed to have people who have been friends and are still friends and have stood with me through the test of time. I cherish them so much. We have stood by each other through so many situations.
May we cherish the friends we have and also know what type of people surround us, so that we know how to relate with each one of them appropriately.
Until we meet again, cherish the FRIEND (S) in your life.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Monday, 26 January 2009
IT IS WHAT LIES WITHIN THAT MATTERS!
Yesterday I managed to find myself enjoying a great dinner with a company of friends.
Several things happened at this dinner that challenged me and caused my mind to get to work.
The first thing that set me thinking was when the couple that invited us out to the dinner said that "you are our friends and we thought we could treat you to a dinner in a nice restaurant". I did not know that that's how this couple felt about me. They considered me a friend even though we only interacted a few times at church, I was humbled.
Then I started thinking how many people love and care for us that we don't even know about? Is it possible that there are people whom we ignore and yet they could be the very people that love and care for us the most? How can one tell? I thought of how many people could be hurt by our actions when we do not pay attention to them and yet in their hearts they consider us as friends but we don't realize it. Life is interesting.
The second thing that set me thinking was one of the conversations that we had around the table. I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Durian fruit, it is a fruit from Southeast Asia which is famous for its strong odor and great taste. You can read more from Google about the Durian fruit. So the story was centered at how bad a smell this fruit has and yet its insides are so delicious. The Durian fruit has a very rough coat of thorns which cover the outside of the fruit and a soft and fleshy inside with amazing taste.
This sent me thinking about the people we interact with in our day to day lives. Some of them have the best looks outside that everyone thinks they are very nice people characterwise on the other hand you have people with scary looks and difficult to approach and everyone would associate them with being terrible characterwise.
And yet the opposite could be true most of the times. The story of the Durian fruit made me think that there are people who could be the sweetest and kind people behind the scary mask and at the same time there are also people who could be the inside out of the Durian fruit. What I mean is that there could be people who are sweet in appearance but they could be the most terrible people you could ever meet and vice versa.
As the saying goes "you can't judge a book by its cover", I hereby agree that may be we could consider learning and knowing people more before we judge them.
Try it, you will be amazed at what lies within!
Several things happened at this dinner that challenged me and caused my mind to get to work.
The first thing that set me thinking was when the couple that invited us out to the dinner said that "you are our friends and we thought we could treat you to a dinner in a nice restaurant". I did not know that that's how this couple felt about me. They considered me a friend even though we only interacted a few times at church, I was humbled.
Then I started thinking how many people love and care for us that we don't even know about? Is it possible that there are people whom we ignore and yet they could be the very people that love and care for us the most? How can one tell? I thought of how many people could be hurt by our actions when we do not pay attention to them and yet in their hearts they consider us as friends but we don't realize it. Life is interesting.
The second thing that set me thinking was one of the conversations that we had around the table. I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Durian fruit, it is a fruit from Southeast Asia which is famous for its strong odor and great taste. You can read more from Google about the Durian fruit. So the story was centered at how bad a smell this fruit has and yet its insides are so delicious. The Durian fruit has a very rough coat of thorns which cover the outside of the fruit and a soft and fleshy inside with amazing taste.
This sent me thinking about the people we interact with in our day to day lives. Some of them have the best looks outside that everyone thinks they are very nice people characterwise on the other hand you have people with scary looks and difficult to approach and everyone would associate them with being terrible characterwise.
And yet the opposite could be true most of the times. The story of the Durian fruit made me think that there are people who could be the sweetest and kind people behind the scary mask and at the same time there are also people who could be the inside out of the Durian fruit. What I mean is that there could be people who are sweet in appearance but they could be the most terrible people you could ever meet and vice versa.
As the saying goes "you can't judge a book by its cover", I hereby agree that may be we could consider learning and knowing people more before we judge them.
Try it, you will be amazed at what lies within!
Sunday, 18 January 2009
WHEN DO YOU LET GO?
Hi friends, I hope you have started the year at a good note.
I was out with a couple of friends today one of the topics that we had a good laugh on was at indicators in a relationship. To simplify what I mean by indicators in a relationship one could just put it in a question "when do you let go?"
Yeah, that is one tough question to ask especially if it concerns someone you have grown to love and like. Ideas were bouncing back from one person to another with bursts of laughter in between as we chatted.
On my way back home I thought more and more about it, when should one let go, should it be at the flash of a red light or should it be when the light is amber (the red being no turning back and amber meaning one still has to decide, more like 50:50 situation).
In my experience letting go is one of the toughest thing I have and had to do, it hurts, you wish things could have gone the other way, you think if only you had done things differently, it is painful.
Does one really have to go through this? In letting go people can lose their self confidence or gain it, in letting go people's lives either get better or worse, in letting go sometimes peole's perceptions about life and love, respect and joy, happiness and sorrow change forever.
The main question still remains, when do you let go? Should you wait until you get a slap in your face and then you know its over or should you just let go when the signs start showing?
Have you ever had a feeling that someone likes you and or loves you then suddenly you get this slap right in between your eyes that its not like that. Ouch that hurts! What do you do then, do you still hang on or its time to let go? Do you take another chance or do you just walk away?
Well I suggest one has to follow their heart, when you feel its time to let go, then let go, and if you have to persevere and try to work on it, then go ahead and take a chance. Whether one has to walk away when the light is amber or red that is a personal choice.
The most important thing is that when you see the signs to let go, then its good to let go. It is very important though never to jump into conclusions, try to understand the situation well before you make a conclusion.
All the best as you go on in life and make the decisions.
I was out with a couple of friends today one of the topics that we had a good laugh on was at indicators in a relationship. To simplify what I mean by indicators in a relationship one could just put it in a question "when do you let go?"
Yeah, that is one tough question to ask especially if it concerns someone you have grown to love and like. Ideas were bouncing back from one person to another with bursts of laughter in between as we chatted.
On my way back home I thought more and more about it, when should one let go, should it be at the flash of a red light or should it be when the light is amber (the red being no turning back and amber meaning one still has to decide, more like 50:50 situation).
In my experience letting go is one of the toughest thing I have and had to do, it hurts, you wish things could have gone the other way, you think if only you had done things differently, it is painful.
Does one really have to go through this? In letting go people can lose their self confidence or gain it, in letting go people's lives either get better or worse, in letting go sometimes peole's perceptions about life and love, respect and joy, happiness and sorrow change forever.
The main question still remains, when do you let go? Should you wait until you get a slap in your face and then you know its over or should you just let go when the signs start showing?
Have you ever had a feeling that someone likes you and or loves you then suddenly you get this slap right in between your eyes that its not like that. Ouch that hurts! What do you do then, do you still hang on or its time to let go? Do you take another chance or do you just walk away?
Well I suggest one has to follow their heart, when you feel its time to let go, then let go, and if you have to persevere and try to work on it, then go ahead and take a chance. Whether one has to walk away when the light is amber or red that is a personal choice.
The most important thing is that when you see the signs to let go, then its good to let go. It is very important though never to jump into conclusions, try to understand the situation well before you make a conclusion.
All the best as you go on in life and make the decisions.
Thursday, 1 January 2009
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS????
Friends, country men, brothers and sisters, let me start by thanking God that He and He alone by His love, mercy, faithfullness and kindness has seen us through into this new year 2009.
Thanks to all of you for being part of my blogging community and I look forward to being with you this year.
Well most people, if not everyone make new year resolutions, which are either followed or broken within the very first few days or weeks into the new year. Whatever resolutions you have made, I wish you all the best as you follow them or break them. Most important of all is to start this year with a purpose. Live every day as if it was your last day, dont miss on loving others, showing kindness to others, and dont miss every oppotunity to do the best you can in every situation.
Be the best you can be to others and to yourself, thinking carefully on each and every move and decision that you make. Remembering that its not only about you always, there are other people too.
Learn to appreciate others and make use of each and every opportunity that you are faced with. Whether good or bad a situation may be, there is always a lesson to be learned, something to look back to and most of all, it is an EXPERIENCE.
Life is full of different opportunities and situations, going through everyone of these always leaves memories and marks in our life. This is what I call life EXPERIENCES. You can never put them on a CV for display, you have them within you, chapters and chapters. As you can use a CV to find yourself the right job, use your life experiences to find out how well you can help others in the society who need someone with your kind of experience.
I wish you all the best as you start this year 2009.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009.
Saturday, 13 December 2008
How Grey is your Grey Day?
Coming from the tropics where the sun shines almost 10 months of the year, I couldn't help noticing how grey it can be in the Northern hemisphere especially as you get closer to the arctic circle.
During this time of the year, here in the northern countries during the winter if you have 1 hour of sunlight, it is like winning a lottery. The daylight is scarce and the days are mostly grey (like when heavy rain clouds cover the sky in Malawi).
During this time of the year, here in the northern countries during the winter if you have 1 hour of sunlight, it is like winning a lottery. The daylight is scarce and the days are mostly grey (like when heavy rain clouds cover the sky in Malawi).
As the amount of daylight reduces every day due to the sun moving southwards from 21st June to 21st December, one can not help to appreciate what a great weather we have at home.
When I first arrived in Sweden I could not understan why people would run out and lay themselved in the sun during a beautiful summer day. With time I realised what an expensive entity and a scarce commodity the sun is on this side of the world. I learned to appreciate what I used to take for granted like a beautiful sunny day with clear blue skies, a beautiful spring day, a golden autumn day and a snow white winter day. I learned to appreciate the little things that happen each day as it came and just be happy for another day that went by.
Sometimes just like me, I am sure we miss on some of the most beautiful opportunities in life because we overlook them or we think they are not so important.
Its just like how we take walking, breathing, seeing and quiet and calm peaceful moments for granted until we meet someone who cant walk, or cant breath without a life support, or one who has an ailment which cant allow them to stay still, you can add on to the list.
So if you think your day id GREY, know that someone else could be having a much more GREY close to BLACK day. Therefore let us learn to appreciate every moment of our days.
All the best as you appreciate this day, for the Bible says " This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it". There are no conditions that have been put in this verse, for example that "I will only rejoice and be glad in a day when ......."
Let us learn to be thankful eveyday.
Enjoy the weekend
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
ONLY BELIEVE!
How many times have you managed to lose something or not been able to achieve what you could only because you did not believe that it could happen.
Yesterday I found myself in an interesting situation, I had to connect between two buses to get to my destination. I find myself in a country where time is very important and everything happens or is done on time.
So here I was sitting on the first bus which was scheduled to arrive at my connection point at 9:13am, my next bust was at 9:19am. As we drove through the traffic, I could not help realizing that I will not be able to make it for my connecting bus, I was about to start thinking of my plan B, that is a nice way of saying I was beginning to get worried. As I was in the process of starting to think of what I will do in case I miss the bus, there was a Bible verse that just came into my mind " ..only believe, ALL things are possible..." I chuckled and told myself "I believe". I was still in a bit of doubt honestly, but I prayed and said, "God help my unbelief". I sat on the bus, I looked at the time it was 9:15am and we were not close to my connecting point, and to make matters worse to take the next but I needed to cross one of the major roads which happens to be the bussiest street as well. Time was not on my side.
I got off the first bus and did not bother to look at my watch, I checked the direction where the connecting bus was coming from, the bus was not yet in sight. I crossed the road and as I was just finishing the crossing there was my bus just about to leave the bus stop, I ran and guess what I got it, just on time. The interresting part was the driver saw me from a distance and he waited until I got on the bus.
Talk about believing, I thanked God for that moment. This continued throughout the day as there were a lot of things that I had to do, they seemed so impossible but the sentence kept echoing in my head "..only believe, ALL things are possible.." And at the end of it all, everything went well.
Indeed all things are possible if we only believe and have faith in God.
I thought I would share this story with you my coleagues.
Do your best to believe, today.
Blessings
Yesterday I found myself in an interesting situation, I had to connect between two buses to get to my destination. I find myself in a country where time is very important and everything happens or is done on time.
So here I was sitting on the first bus which was scheduled to arrive at my connection point at 9:13am, my next bust was at 9:19am. As we drove through the traffic, I could not help realizing that I will not be able to make it for my connecting bus, I was about to start thinking of my plan B, that is a nice way of saying I was beginning to get worried. As I was in the process of starting to think of what I will do in case I miss the bus, there was a Bible verse that just came into my mind " ..only believe, ALL things are possible..." I chuckled and told myself "I believe". I was still in a bit of doubt honestly, but I prayed and said, "God help my unbelief". I sat on the bus, I looked at the time it was 9:15am and we were not close to my connecting point, and to make matters worse to take the next but I needed to cross one of the major roads which happens to be the bussiest street as well. Time was not on my side.
I got off the first bus and did not bother to look at my watch, I checked the direction where the connecting bus was coming from, the bus was not yet in sight. I crossed the road and as I was just finishing the crossing there was my bus just about to leave the bus stop, I ran and guess what I got it, just on time. The interresting part was the driver saw me from a distance and he waited until I got on the bus.
Talk about believing, I thanked God for that moment. This continued throughout the day as there were a lot of things that I had to do, they seemed so impossible but the sentence kept echoing in my head "..only believe, ALL things are possible.." And at the end of it all, everything went well.
Indeed all things are possible if we only believe and have faith in God.
I thought I would share this story with you my coleagues.
Do your best to believe, today.
Blessings
Thursday, 4 December 2008
A TRIBUTE TO PIYASONI KACHEPATSONGA
It was my birthday, my big birthday, I was so excited and happy, I thanked God for the life He gave to me. On the other side of the wolrd at the same time a great life had just been taken back to God the creator, my heart was broken and I was in terrible shock.
It was Piya, the same Piya, the God's Marvelous Creation (GMC) Piya, a son, a brother and a great friend. We all could just not take it in without expressing the shock.
Some of you reading this blog may not know him, but to those of us who knew him, its hard to believe that 2nd December 2008 was your last day Piya on this earth.
I met Piya at Chanco, when he came to join GMC theatre, a christian drama group that went out evangelizing and spreading the word of God through drama. When Piya joined the group we could not help noticing the talent that was embedded in this young man. He was a great director and play writer. He always had interesting imaginations and ways of acting which would always spark a heated discussion most of the times during the rehearsal. But at the end of it all it was just GMC.
I remember the time we had to act "KUMASANO", this was a great production which all GMC remembers. It was a play that we acted in many schools and we never stopped appreciating how each time we acted it came out different.
After Chanco we re-united as GMC alumini and called ourselves GMCA. We still had the same goal reach out to many young souls in schools. As time went by with age, most members got married but we still tried to keep GMCA together. Piya worked hard to keep GMCA together with several members who were in Blantyre, Lilongwe and many parts of Malawi, he did not give up on the dream of GMCA. There was a dream of having a film of one of GMCA plays I dont know how far you took that one Piya. Unfortunately, I can not ask you now, but I know you dreamed big for GMCA.
Some of the interesting moments were when we had to dance "Kumasano " on the weddings of members of GMCA. You were on the lead, with the "Kumasano chant". I am sure GMCA remebers "Kumasanooooooooooo eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh, Kumasanoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
There is a lot members of GMCA would want to write about Piya. And I have put together this tribute on my blog so that all the members of GMCA and all friends can comment and add on what fond memories we shared.
We are separated now physically, but you are always with us everyday, as we look at your photos, as we walk past St. Columba, as we walk past HHI, as we walk past Salima turn-off, everywhere we go you will always be in our memories.
We will always remember you Piya, as one of our GMCA members put it: May the great "Kumasano" rest in peace. The great Piya will always be rembered. He was so dear to us at GMC. He was a God's Marvellous creation! (EK)
Mnyamata wa pa Lizulu, wakwambewe, womwetulira bwino, nyamata wodziwa kuyankhula chichewa, wokonda chikhalidwe cha chi Malawi, m'ngoni woyenda ndi litchowa, sitidzakuyiwala PIYA!
I will always remember the last time I met you at shoprite in Lilongwe in 2007, you were just back from a youth conference in Kenya. I didn't know that that was the last time I was seeing you, in this life. You will always be remembered.
Piya, you were indeed God's Marvelous Creation.
We will MISS YOU SO MUCH!
MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.
LOVE GMC and GMCA
It was Piya, the same Piya, the God's Marvelous Creation (GMC) Piya, a son, a brother and a great friend. We all could just not take it in without expressing the shock.
Some of you reading this blog may not know him, but to those of us who knew him, its hard to believe that 2nd December 2008 was your last day Piya on this earth.
I met Piya at Chanco, when he came to join GMC theatre, a christian drama group that went out evangelizing and spreading the word of God through drama. When Piya joined the group we could not help noticing the talent that was embedded in this young man. He was a great director and play writer. He always had interesting imaginations and ways of acting which would always spark a heated discussion most of the times during the rehearsal. But at the end of it all it was just GMC.
I remember the time we had to act "KUMASANO", this was a great production which all GMC remembers. It was a play that we acted in many schools and we never stopped appreciating how each time we acted it came out different.
After Chanco we re-united as GMC alumini and called ourselves GMCA. We still had the same goal reach out to many young souls in schools. As time went by with age, most members got married but we still tried to keep GMCA together. Piya worked hard to keep GMCA together with several members who were in Blantyre, Lilongwe and many parts of Malawi, he did not give up on the dream of GMCA. There was a dream of having a film of one of GMCA plays I dont know how far you took that one Piya. Unfortunately, I can not ask you now, but I know you dreamed big for GMCA.
Some of the interesting moments were when we had to dance "Kumasano " on the weddings of members of GMCA. You were on the lead, with the "Kumasano chant". I am sure GMCA remebers "Kumasanooooooooooo eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh, Kumasanoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
There is a lot members of GMCA would want to write about Piya. And I have put together this tribute on my blog so that all the members of GMCA and all friends can comment and add on what fond memories we shared.
We are separated now physically, but you are always with us everyday, as we look at your photos, as we walk past St. Columba, as we walk past HHI, as we walk past Salima turn-off, everywhere we go you will always be in our memories.
We will always remember you Piya, as one of our GMCA members put it: May the great "Kumasano" rest in peace. The great Piya will always be rembered. He was so dear to us at GMC. He was a God's Marvellous creation! (EK)
Mnyamata wa pa Lizulu, wakwambewe, womwetulira bwino, nyamata wodziwa kuyankhula chichewa, wokonda chikhalidwe cha chi Malawi, m'ngoni woyenda ndi litchowa, sitidzakuyiwala PIYA!
I will always remember the last time I met you at shoprite in Lilongwe in 2007, you were just back from a youth conference in Kenya. I didn't know that that was the last time I was seeing you, in this life. You will always be remembered.
Piya, you were indeed God's Marvelous Creation.
We will MISS YOU SO MUCH!
MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.
LOVE GMC and GMCA
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)