A more beautiful you

Something came to my realization this week. It's one of those things that you know at the back of your mind but when a new angle of the same fact comes up, it gives it a whole new meaning. So what I realised was this: there is no woman who does not want to feel and look beautiful, however stubborn or 'tomboy-ish' she may seem to be.

A few things helped me come to this realization, one of them being a reality show called "How do I look?". Under normal circumstances, you would not find me watching reality shows...they're just not my cup of tea. But this show caught my eye for many reasons, the first one being that it actually helps bring about positive change in people's lives. I'm sure those of you who've never heard of the show are probably lost by now, so i'll try and explain. :)
"How do I look?" is a show that gives women a chance to get a totally new look, from wardrobe to hair and make-up. To be a participant of this show however, you need to be signed up by friends and relatives who have had enough of your current look and feel you need a change. The women who come on this show...it's appalling at how badly they dress. It ranges from very suggestive and scandalous clothing to wearing sack-like, unflattering clothes. Most of them come on the show with a defensive attitude and start off not willing to change how they dress, even if it's directly affecting their interpersonal relationships. Once they've gone through the whole show and  have seen just how negatively their dressing affects their lives and  their friends and family, they willingly change how they dress.

Being a reality show, some may say that it's not actually real and that its scripted just like any other television show, but I find it difficult to believe what goes on in that show is all scripted. Watching the transformation that takes place in the women who participate is amazing. My mom and I usually watch it together and although we may not always like the end result, you can tell that the women feel beautiful at the end of it all. The 'before' and 'after' is not only noticeable in the clothes, the hair and the make-up, but also in how they stand, how they carry themselves...their confidence gets a major booster shot. All most of these women needed was to be shown that they could look beautiful and feel attractive once more. And although the show does not do a follow-up I'm sure those women don't go back to the awful looks they had before their make-over.
My best part of the show is at the end, after the revealing of the 'new' woman, when she gets a gift from the show. The gift always has something to do with the woman's current or prospective career and provides a great foundation for them to keep pursuing their dreams. If you ask me, "How do I look?" does more of helping the woman re-discover her beauty, intellect and skills than it does giving her a new look.

I'd said it was a few things that helped me realise all women yearn to feel and look beautiful. Well, actually, it was just two things. The second was my one-time chance at being a runway model!
My mother's friend has a clothes shop and she wanted to advertise her new stock with a flourish, so she organised a mini fashion show. I'm glad she decided not to use professional models because that gave my sister, her niece, her friends and myself a chance of a lifetime to be runway models. Her clothes range from size 8 to size 20 and so did the models. And you know what, the older and more full-bodied women looked better than us size 8's! :D We all felt beautiful that night and we helped the women watching the show know that they could look just as beautiful. None of us models was the 'ideal' body height, weight and shape for models but it didn't matter. We had fun, strutted ourselves and showed off a wonderful collection. It was an amazing experience. I wish every woman could get a chance to experience it.

To all the women, I know you've heard this from different sources, but you are beautiful, no matter what anyone may say. And if I may quote Johnny Diaz on his song: 'there can never be a more beautiful you'. It's so true that when you feel beautiful, it oozes out of your pores and you look even more beautiful on the outside. So even as you enjoy spending time with family and friends this christmas, feel beautiful, speak beautifully, smell beautiful, you are beautiful.

Merry Christmas beautiful people!!

this little light of mine...

I've been trying to post a photo I took for a while now but I guess it wasn't meant to be. I was really hoping to have that photo accompany this particular post for two reasons: one, it's the first photo I took with my first digital camera :) and two, it would have perfectly illustrated the main idea in this post. (In the new and improved edited version of this post, the photo's below!!)

The importance of light is one of the things we take for granted every day. It hit me with the constant power outtages of a few weeks ago when God knows what Kenya Power (or Kenya Paraffin as Clay Muganda referred to them) were up to. Those few moments after the lights go out are critical...they distinguish those with generators from those who use back-up lights, and the rest of us, who use candles. And for a few moments, you're groping in the dark, searching for the matches, then the candles, then something to put the candle in as it slowly drips hot wax on your fingers before you can breathe a sigh of relief. Now you can see again. 

Darkness is a prominent fear for many children and some people struggle with this fear until adulthood, especially those with traumatic events in their past. That in itself should show just how important light is to us. Without light, it becomes almost impossible to do anything. You can't read in poor light, it will spoil your eyes. You can't be sure of what you're cooking 'cause you can't see everything in the sufuria, you can easily cook an insect without knowing! You get the drift...

When I was thinking about this, I thought those who wear spectacles would relate better, I know I do. Every time I get brand new lenses for my spectacles, I walk out of the optician's and I'm amazed at how clear everything looks. It's like I'd been looking at the world through a blurry glass pane and someone replaced it with a brand new crystal clear one. It's one of the most amazing feelings in this world. And all this is possible....just because of light.

No wonder Christ used the parable of a light on a hill to explain what Christianity should be like. Think about it. Who in their right mind, would light a lamp, then put it under a table? Unless they're looking for something specifically underneath that table, they'd probably put the lamp on the table, not under it. And when a traveller is out in the darkness, they always look for light, because they know once they find the light, they'll probably find people and lodging.

  That's why it does not make any sense for someone to call themselves a Christian and your actions are not seen to be Christ-like. We used to sing,

   "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine

     this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine

     this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine

     let it shine, let it shine, let it shine"

Everyone has a light to shine; everyone has something to share; everyone has a story to tell. It may not be easy to shine your light in today's ever-changing world, but light the candle anyway. It may flare up then look like its dying down, but if you're patient enough, it will get stronger and burn brighter.

King Solomon is recognized in history as the wealthiest man who's ever lived. Yet despite all his wealth, Solomon sat down one day and said it was all meaningless. Every pleasure he had pursued, every treasure he owned, he likened it to 'chasing the wind'. Have you ever tried to imagine what chasing wind is like? You cannot even see wind! How on earth is it even sensible to even think about chasing it? Now imagine all the wealth you can ever attain in today's world. It's all meaningless.

Today's reading from Our Daily Bread looks at what is valuable through the writings of Solomon and the conclusion they come to is that its the small things in life that make sense. Like waking up in the morning, taking a breath of fresh air, being able to see, feel, touch. Those are the meaningful things in life.

LE PREMIERE!

Love is a wonderful thing to experience, especially on special days like birthdays!!

The birth of this blog is associated with my special day and is one of the many ways I was showered with love and appreciation. This year, I was not so sure how my birthday would turn out 'cause I knew my mom wouldn't be around to bake me her infamous cakes like every other year...and I would be sitting exams on the day itself. That's why I thank God for the gift of love and friendship. My birthday was made special by those I hold dear, those I love and treasure, those I call friends and family. And despite the presence of an exam bang in the middle of my day, the day turned out to be wonderful.

It got me thinking...
Everyone deserves to feel loved and appreciated on their birthday. And everyone can.
The best thing about it is you don't need much money to do this. All someone needs are heartfelt wishes and appreciation from their friends and family.

Everyone should be able to use their birthday as a chance to look back and thank God, not just for life, but all the good things that came with the year. This should be especially true for believers for we know that Jesus Christ came not just to give us life, but life in abundance. It reminds me of the song we used to sing in Sunday school: “Count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done, count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done”. This song is extremely practical…try it even now. Just think of all the good things in your life and you’ll feel better!

So for those of you born in December like me, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! We're blessed to be born in a month when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Borrow a leaf from my friends' book and use this season to spread love around!

Merry Christmas in advance! :) 

Joyeux anniversaire mon amour.

Salut Sheena, tu veux dire le monde à moi et vous êtes la meilleure chose qui me soit jamais arrivée. Ses sept mois maintenant et je suis amoureuse de chaque moment. Chaque fois que votre beauté me fait sursauter. vous êtes belle. votre beauté ne peut être égalé à aucune autre. Vous êtes la vraie essence du mot lui-même.

Je veux passer le reste de ma vie avec toi chérie entier. Vous êtes la raison que j'ai l'énergie pour aller après mes rêves. tu es mon rêve ultime.

Trois ont été persistantes mot sur ​​mes lèvres pendant un bon moment maintenant et ce que d'autres moment spécial que cela pour les dire.

Je t'aime.

Je t'aime.

Je t'aime.

Joyeux anniversaire mon amour.