Regina Gichunge

Regina Gichunge

Saturday, 24 November 2018 11:46

Reckless love.

In my high school days there was a book we referred to as ‘the pop book’. This book was a simple exercise book with newspaper cuttings glued onto its pages. The newspaper cuttings were mainly song lyrics and images of the pop artists to the songs. The books varied in size but the contents remained the same.

The present day equivalent of owning this book is having a Mac book in campus. The owners of this book sat on high and lofty pedestals. In our eyes they were masters of grandeur matters entertainment. Naturally I wanted to be like them. To I achieve this dream I would from time to time borrow the book and study  lyrics (for some reason that isn’t apparent right now hehe).

Say on a random Tuesday evening I wanted to sate my urge to peruse the pop book. I would respectfully approach the owner with my arms neatly tucked on my back. With my head bowed I would then make my request in a soft tone. Patiently then I would wait for a reply. A positive reply would see me spread out my arms to receive the pop book followed by a dramatic expression of great gratitude. A negative response would still get me mumbling a thank you. On the days when I didn't get the pop book I spent hours plotting on how i would put together my own pop book after high school.

After school I encountered YouTube lyrical videos and that dream of owning a pop book withered. That said I few weeks past I came across the lyrics to the song ‘Reckless love.’

Saturday, 08 September 2018 10:35

God's plan.

I don’t know if you have watched Breaking bad, an American drama series. If you have watched it, you have felt a smile creeping on your lips on seeing the movie’s title (for no apparent reason hehe). In case you haven’t watched it I searched online for short synopsis of the movie and found one which reads;

Mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher Walter White thinks his life can't get much worse. His salary barely makes ends meet, a situation not likely to improve once his pregnant wife gives birth, and their teenage son is battling cerebral palsy. But Walter is dumbstruck when he learns he has terminal cancer. Realizing that his illness probably will ruin his family financially, Walter makes a desperate bid to earn as much money as he can in the time he has left by turning an old RV into a meth lab on wheels.

A few years ago the series was praised for its great business lessons. The acclamation was a little surprising to me knowing the kind of business the story revolves around. In my mind’s eye the movie is more of a cautionary tale but the tale though has a silver lining to it; business tips and lessons. Daily, I am amazed at how we at times write off things, but then God doesn’t do so with us. What was intended for evil, God uses it for good.

Thursday, 23 August 2018 16:55

Respite

I just finished reading halfwits a novel authored by Gerard E. Goggins. My friend and I got it from one of the book vendors on Tom Mboya Street. Well, the correct recollection of the purchase event is that I pulled it from the book pile and my friend paid a lump sum of Kes 50 for me to keep it hehe. Truthfully the price felt a little insulting to the work. To deal with this new problem we agreed to share the story of the halfwits with as many people as possible.

The narrative revolves around John Fitzsimmons who works at TPI (Therapy products Inc.). TPI is a small plant with about 200 employees. The title halfwits is largely a refence to the humans in the book who are cruel, mean and generally well, humans.  Fitzsimmons doubles up as sweeper and a night watchman at TPI. On first contact he comes across as a regular Joe. A few chapters in i learned that Fitzsimmons having lost his family in a gruesome murder had moved cities to get away and start afresh.

Fitzsimmons has this colleague who keeps taunting him to confront evil (in this case seek revenge for his loss). In this colleague’s effort to push Fitzsimmons into action he ends up inflicting more pain to Fitzsimmons. The book has a happy ending though, good triumphs over evil.

Wednesday, 08 August 2018 11:26

Omni God.

One of my friends is a Sunday school teacher; I did not realize how much power she yields each Sunday until recently. While the rest of us sit through the service listening, learning, noting ideas, thoughts and testimonies, she’s usually outside holding the mantle of power. This mantle is a Sunday school teacher’s guide, a sheaf of papers in a file all clutched under her arm as she walks about resolutely. She could be dashing to start a lesson or from conducting one, either way there’s purpose in her step.

On Sunday she and I were walking home from church and two of her Sunday school pupils came to say hello. The hello was communicated by the two boys asking, ‘Sasa teacher’ to which she replied ‘poa’ while patting their backs gently. After the salute the two boys chose to keep standing next to her. As though on cue to dispense a morsel of wisdom to her pupils my friend then launched into an impromptu lesson.

She bent her back slightly and asked them, ‘Why do we pray?

One the boys possibly 6 or 7 years old looked up to her and answered ‘because we love God’.

Satisfied the teacher called the two boys good and then told them to go well. I stood there in awe of her.

Monday, 30 July 2018 14:22

Hindsight

You have possibly heard of the idiom ‘hindsight is 20/20’. Which means, looking back things that were not obvious from the onset now seem obvious; you are able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice. Now as a grown up i understand why my little niece gets a beating each time she flatly refuses to eat. In her little princess world eating is one of those menial chores that never seem to appear on her agenda, for she is busy tending to her kingdom; attending tea parties, donning royal gowns,  generally daunted by the huge task of daily giving her subjects an ideal to aspire to hehe. (Oh, sidebar have you guys watched the crown? Such a cool series!)  Anyways, so when her mum reminds her of this menial chore with the mighty red slipper(s) it all makes sense to me. Little princess usually obeys and chows down her meal just to keep the red slipper at bay, which makes sense because she  doesn’t have the luxury of hindsight like I do. One day when she’s all grown up she will look at some kid and wonder why they would refuse a meal.

Tuesday, 13 February 2018 13:16

To love God.

In high school on each Valentine’s Day we presented flowers to our teachers. The proper phrase for the routine would be ‘gave flowers’ rather than ‘presented flowers’. Present sounds real elaborate; music, candles, deep red rose, the works hehe. So the act of giving flowers involved collecting a few blooms of the bougainvillea flower, tying it with a string and storing it in undisclosed location. As soon as the teacher was spotted leaving the staffroom one gallant girl would place the bouquet on the teacher’s desk. The rest of the students would sit back in anticipation of the teacher’s reaction to the bouquet.

Most female teachers walked in smiled at the sight of the flowers and expressed gratitude. A few male teachers handed the flowers blue ticks and then proceeded with the lesson hehe. The more serious teachers took a few minutes off the lesson and gave us a talk on the ‘dangers of not studying hard’, or better still a talk on the general hardships of life hehe. This would not stop us the next year because let’s be honest we all need some love.

Monday, 12 February 2018 10:38

Growth.

The river in this picture passes through my village. It’s calledIraru which is in South Imenti in Meru County. My village and the river are as picturesque as they appear in the image Hehe. The river is not on google maps yet, but for a small fee we could get you a tour guide in case you are interested in a visit.

Each time I go home, I make a point to go sit by the river. Well, the truth is nostalgia takes me to the river’s banks. Usually I sit on one of the rocks and gaze at the water for hours on end. In these hours I think of all the adventure I would have had, had i been a little girl. The adventures include but are not limited to; dragging a banana stem from the nearby farm to one end of the river to form a deep end, locating a safe haven for my back pack from school. Finally locating a high point from where I can jump from to land into the child-made deep end, hehe. Good times.

Tuesday, 07 March 2017 12:02

Come alive.

I recently read, Birds of Kamiti by Benjamin Garth Bundeh. The story is a true recount by the author on his incarceration for a crime he didn’t commit. In the first trial he is found guilty of murder and is sentenced to capital punishment. Having gone through the first trial he doesn’t trust any lawyer to represent him fairly. Thus he opts to represent himself in the appeal which he wins and is granted freedom; the one thing he craved since he first set foot in the police cells.

Off the bat the book doesn’t come off as a Christian literature but further down the pages i encountered what sometimes is our daily struggle; the fight to keep our faith when everything falls apart. How do we maintain a steady gaze at the one who called us while everything is moving at a dazzling speed? 

Thursday, 24 November 2016 12:50

God's plan.

Imagine with me the scene in the unfolding of Joshua Chapter 6.

 ‘Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.’

The Israelite’s army is possibly running trials on their weapon system; the snipers are perfecting their sharp shooting skills, blacksmiths adding final touches on new spears/arrows. Army men trained to climb walls are getting final instructions drilled into them. Thorough-bred horses are getting fed on the highest quality hay available to ensure they are well fed before going into battle.

Tuesday, 02 August 2016 10:40

Of friends and Visits

You know how you visit a friend and they make a huge fuss about your visit? They bear hug you and (or) offer you firm handshakes with their eyes locked into yours. They summon their kids to come say hi to auntie/uncle. Then they offer you tea and possibly mandazi whilstletting you take their favorite spot on the couch. After which they settle across you, chins held in anticipation and their legs politely crossed pointing yours.

They listen to your stories with keen interest only interrupting you with burst of laughter here and there. Your stories could be bland, yet your guest laugh like they are at comedy central, well that is positive reinforcement.

Your friends are sending you a coded message that they like it when you visit. In addition, they don't mind preparing you food and drink. Heck they even like your long winding tales of your days away.

We like friends like these don't we?

Well https://www.facebook.com/TheSaturdayPM/?fref=nf is such kind of a friend.

When you attend the service, you will be saluted with firm handshakes at the entrance by commissionaires; ushers who have mastered the art of smiling warmly even when Nairobi weather is having a mood.

They may not ask for a story, but they will let you take a seat of your choice.

Together they will ask that you listen to the greatest love story (ies) from the Bible.

This friend will even offer tea and mandazi to go with the stories.


By these gestures you are being reinforced positively to come back or to invite a friend.

So come one come all to the Saturday pm bible expositions at Citam valley road.

The service is on every Saturday from 6Pm- 8PM
 

Friday, 29 July 2016 11:56

Pain.

Earlier this month, I read an online article about a bombing in Iraq just before the Eid holiday, actually it was a commentary to the post. And it read, ‘what is it about Iraqi life that makes it so easy to lose?’

The author of the note was agitated that the world wasn’t empathizing enough, you know with hashtags and with Iraqi flags in the place of Facebook profile pictures. I read that comment and it clung to my mind. I searched for the owner of the post to find out if they had more thought prodding quotes Hehe, I found a few others that would alter the course of this story if I told them here so I will have to share them later.

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 15:55

Provision.

A few years back my sister and I were involved in a near miss.  It was over the Christmas season and we were headed home for the festivities. As soon as we got over the price haggling stage, and we got our highly negotiated seats we sat back hoping for a peaceful non eventful journey.

The driver looked reasonable; you know, assuming we developed an urge to stop at the Sagana Bridge to take selfies he looked like he would oblige and pull over so that ‘the girls could take their selfies’. Also he looked like he would have gracefully waved us away if we asked him to join us for the selfies whilst saying ‘Aaah I have had more than enough photos taken’ girls please leave me out of this one’ Hehe

Wednesday, 13 April 2016 15:32

Testimony

There is something gallant about giving a testimony. Something almost chivalrous about it. Possibly, it’s because when we share a testimony we lay open bits of us so that other people can walk into them, look and hopefully learn. Scripture records in Revelation 11: 12 that ‘they overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony’, still, the vulnerability that comes with giving a testimony cannot be ignored.

Wednesday, 09 March 2016 11:56

Wa ajabu.

The very first time I came to the Satpm service, my sister and I sat a few rows from the lectern. I had come at her invitation thus I automatically sat where she sat. I do not recall exactly how many rows to the front we were, maybe three or two. All that mattered then was that I had successfully steered clear of the role of ‘the insubordinate invitee’ by explicitly agreeing to her seat choice, Hehe.

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