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Must reads:

The Stable Presence

LOVING GRACE

Pg 6

King’s Inspiration: What are you Expecting

Pg 10

Entrepreneur: Trusting God in Our Work Pg 13

CONTENTS

My Pulpit Message notes | Loving Grace| 3-4

The Stable Presence | 7 - 8

My Devotional: Second Chances | 9

King’s Inspiration: What are you Expecting | 10

Wambui’s Reflections: It is a Battle for Balance

My Entrepreneur: Trusting God in our work | 12

My Health: Brain health: Can cinnamon improve learning and memory? | 13-14

My Kitchen: Obe Ata | 15

My Sports: 5 surprises, tech trends and brave calls from the 2023 F1 launch season |16

My Pulpit Message Notes

LOVING GRACE

My Pulpit Message Notes are transcribed from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 26th February, 2023. Preacher - Reverend Evans Mutamba. Scripture: Hosea 11-14. Topic: Loving Grace

1. Determination of God - Hosea 11

2. Disobedience of Humanity - Hosea 12-13

3. Deliverance of God - Hosea 14

Determination of God - Hosea 11

Hosea 11:1 - God is showing how determined He is to love Ephraim. He is so determined to love Ephraim, not for a short while, but He is saying, “When Israel was a child, I loved him. And out of Egypt I called my son.”

- We all remember how the children of Israel went to Egypt and out of starvation and famine there was no food and it was in God’s will and plan to take them there so that He will multiply them and cause them to blossom in number. Indeed there they fourished.

It was in God’s love to be with them and nurture and took care of them so that step by step the children of Israel will grow. So afer they had fully grown and multiplied, historians suggest that over two million by the time they were being freed from Egypt. Tis is a combination of more than two million coming out. Tey went there, hardly more than seventy in number of people going to Egypt, but when they are coming out they were a fully developed nation.

- It is good to know that when Israel were still a small people in number living in slavery, which turned to become worse day by day and they began crying out to God because of the taskmaster. Te Egyptians and Pharaoh had commanded to have them punished and the Israelites cried out to God. Tat was the act of God’s providence and love.

And He took them out into the wilderness and there God made a unique declaration in Exodus 19:5-6, “5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ Tese are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

So God is declaring that Israel is special to Him. Tey are peculiar. A kingdom of priests. You will represent Me on earth. You are so much diferent from others and because I have chosen you.

- Tis reminds us of the words of Jesus Christ spoken to His disciples, He said, ‘You did not choose Me, I chose you. So God chose the children of Israel because of His own will and evolution.

- God was determined to love them. He was committed to love them. And He was said to love them.

- We see this when Jacob was by all standards a guy that He was not so close to. A guy who swindled the blessings of his brother. If a guy can make the animals reproduce diferently and this is your employee. Tis is a guy you do not want to draw so close to. But God had made up His mind to love him. Not because he was so good, but because God had chosen him, to love him.

Tis reminds us of the words of Paul in Romans 8:8, “While we were yet sinners God demonstrate His love towards us by sending Jesus Christ to die for us.” He died for us not because we were good. He loved us not because we deserved, but because of His mercy and grace.

- Many times brothers and sister we come before Him and when we begin to introspectively look at ourselves we feel totally unworthy. We deserve not to come before Him, yet He allows us, He invites us, He welcomes us to come to Him.

- Not as improved people who have changed themselves, but we come as

we are so that He can change us. Tat is God’s love.

- Hosea 11:3-4 we see that God is determined to care for Ephraim. He says, “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize, it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifs a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.”

- Tat is God’s care. He is so determined to care for Ephraim. As parents we identify with this. When we cared for our little babies and sometimes they misbehave, but continually reaching out to them, showing them how to walk, teaching them how to conduct themselves, supporting them so that they can stand on their own. Always there caring and never giving up.

- If there is one person that never gives up, it is the parent. And more so, mothers. Tey just never give up, and God is just showing to Ephraim that they / you never recognised of my leading and guidance, but I cared for you.

- Isn’t this true of us? How many time I have failed to recognise the care, the leading, the provision of God, but that has never stopped God from caring for us because He is determined to care. He can never deny Himself. He says He is faithful when we are faithful. And even when we are not faithful, He remains faithful because He can never deny Himself. Tat is the God we serve. Committed to care for us. And this is what He is showing to Israel / Ephraim in Hosea.

- Tey have walked away from Him, but God is still stretching forth His hands to care. When Israel was in her infancy, God was there for her. He literally took care of Israel. While they were in the wilderness He shielded then against the scotching heat of the sun by the pillar of a cloud and at night He ensured that they were not exposed to danger by providing a pillar of fre for guiding them to keep them moving, because God cares.

- Te truth of the Scripture is, He changes not. God is determined to pursue His people. He is not planning to give up on you. Sometimes we give up on ourselves, but God is so determined, He says, “How can I give up Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? God has no plan of giving up in you.

- You could be at one of those worse places where you feel so disgusted with yourself, like the prodigal son. A son lef taking care of pigs, wallowing in poverty and hunger and he looked at himself feeling unworthy coming to be a son. And sometimes we get there, feeling totally messed up with our lives and feeling we are not ft to be called sons. But God says, “How can I give up on you? Tat is quite refreshing and soothing to my heart. Just knowing that God is so committed to follow me through and has no intention in plan of giving up.

Disobedience of Humanity. Hosea 12-13

-From Hosea 11:12 we see that Ephraim was full of deceit and rebellion. Hosea 12:1 says “1 Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence. He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.

- Deceit and rebellion. Not following the rules of God and choosing to rely on another nation. Not relying on God. As if they never knew the truth, that cursed is any man who trust and depends on another man, but blessed is he who makes the LORD his fortress - who trusts in the LORD.

My Pulpit Message Notes

So Israel decides to rely on Assyria and Egypt. Tey paid their taxes there. Tey depended on those nations and chose not to walk in the counsel of the LORD.

But this is the condition of the human heart. It is not unique only to Israel. Hasn’t the Scripture told us, the heart of man is desperately wicked. Who can understand it? But I the LORD searches the heart.

Sometimes we begin running away from this reality with a nice, good feeling and failure to search our hearts constantly, like David saying, Oh, search me Oh LORD, and if there be any uncleanliness would you cleanse my heart. Search me that I may be clean.

- It is critical that we constantly search our hearts. Take care of your heart for there, fows the issues of life. Constantly check your heart and see if it is still in sync with the LORD, or maybe it is no longer feeling Him.

Ephraim was also full of dishonesty, oppression and arrogance.

- Hosea 12:7-8 “ Te merchant uses dishonest scales and loves to defraud. Ephraim boasts, “I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not fnd in me any iniquity or sin.”

Folly, deception of the heart, makes one to feel arrogant and be arrogant. Using false scales to rob others and oppress those who are in need. Feeling that because I have this and that, therefore the LORD will fnd no sin in me. Just like that foolish rich man. Eat and be merry for you have so much in store for you, and that very night the LORD came for his breath and everything else was a waste.

Just like the preacher would say, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. When all is said and done, check your heart.

- How many times have we in this country experienced dishonest scales? You go a shop to buy one kilogram of sugar and it is just 0.95 g. Tey don’t take much, just a little. It rains and you are using public transport and the fare just shoots up. You drive into a petrol station and because they speculate the prices are going to change in the evening and so there is no fuel. Landlords - they will talk about the paint and the taps and the deposit will not be refunded.

How many times do we witness the oppression of the poor? You have a house manager and you know for sure what you pay is not sufcient to keep this person or their family’s upkeep and because that day she knows she is going home and there is no food and you haven’t arrived and just takes part of the four in the house and the following day she is fred. ‘You are a thief!’

Sometimes we witness the display of arrogance of citizens on their fellow citizens in this country. What will you do (Uta do?), where can you take me? (utanipeleka wapi?) Arrogance.

- We never care about those who seem to be less because they are less privileged. Tey are needy. But this term needy also doesn’t have a clear defnition in this country? Who is needy? But at least you and I know very well that we can put food on the table, we can aford do many other things. Most likely our children are not in public schools, but private schools, but we still say, ‘who is needy, i am also needy? Tere is ambiguity and there is no clear demarcation.

- Ephraim was fully committed to pursue idolatry because that is what their hearts decided. When Ephraim spoke, people trembled. He was exalted in Israel, but he became guilty of Baal worship and died.

- Similarly it is so easy in this country to say I do not worship the moon, or stars, or I don’t face the mountain, like in my village where I come from, when not facing the trees, I will face Mount Elgon, and we give it a name e.g Mount Zion. I could not be facing Mount Zion, but there are things that I hold on to so dearly and will pursue them at the expense of pursuing God. I will do anything to make extra money. I will do anything to ascend in rank. I will do anything to stand higher than the rest. And the preacher would say, ‘Useless, useless, all is useless.’ Tey may seem to be useful in this life now, but in the age to come, they may be a hindrance.

Deliverance of God - Hosea 14

God sets a condition for Him to deliver His people. He says, “O Israel, return to the Lord your God,

For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; 2 Take words with you, And return to the Lord.

Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will ofer the sacrifces[a] of our lips. 3 Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless fnds mercy.”

- Friends, it doesn’t matter where we have been. It doesn’t matter the conditions of our hearts. Te LORD saying, ‘Return to Me.’ We may have missed the way / slipped / messed along the way, but the solution is not giving up / or feeling sorry for ourselves, blaming ourselves, or others. Te solution is come to the LORD. Like the prodigal son, I will go back to my Father.

- Once upon a time I was a Sunday School teacher and there was this song, ‘With Jesus Christ on the boat I can go sailing home.’

- We can always have Jesus Christ in this boat, and with Him in the boat we are safe, we can go sail home.

- Friends we are invited to return to the LORD regardless of where we are, or going through and the LORD says, “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily.”

- When we return to the LORD, He will heal us.

Conclusion

- You are there and struggling to know whether God loves you or not. I have come to assure you that He deeply loves you. Maybe you have been through a situation and doubting, does He really love me, does He care for me? Because of what I’ve gone through does He care for me? I have come to assure you the He does.

- Yes it is possible that you have also not acted well and you feel, I don’t deserve to be loved by Him. Paul reminds us, that while we were yet sinners, God still cares for you. Return to Him and He will heal your heart / state / condition. He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

- Tis is not a religious statement, but a Biblical truth, He will come through for you.

My Life

How to get saved and spend eternity with God

His Love

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NASB)

My response

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)

My prayer

Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your love for me. Tank You that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins. Please forgive me for all the sins I have committed against You. I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died on the cross and You raised Him from the dead on the third day. Please write my name in the Lamb’s book of life. Help me to live a life that is holy and pleasing unto You. In Jesus’ Name I pray and believe. Amen

CHRISTIANS STRONGLY OPPOSE SUPREME COURT OF KENYA’S RULING IN FAVOUR OF LGBTQ ORGANISATION

By Liz Omondi | Email: timestodayke@gmail.com

Christians in Kenya have strongly opposed the ruling on Friday 24th February 2023 by the Supreme Court in favour of Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Questioning (LGBTQ) community right to associate even though same sex marriages are illegal in Kenya. In particular, Christ Is Te Answer Ministries (CITAM), issued a communique on Sunday 26th February in response to the ruling.

In a statement signed by Reverend Calisto Odede, the Presiding Bishop of CITAM, Kenyans of moral integrity and good will have been encouraged to openly “reject, resist and oppose this supreme court ruling as it will erode our societal norms and morals.”

A section of the communique read as follows:

We recognize that there may be many people who are struggling with diferent kinds of sexual desires but they have not gone to court for the whole nation to recognize them. For one to privately struggle with such issues is one thing, but it is unwise to try to get the whole country through its various structures to endorse one’s deviant behaviour. Tose who struggle with homosexual desires are not signifcantly diferent from persons who are heterosexual but also struggle with sexuality in singlehood through non-marriage or through widowhood or through marital separation of one form or another. On top of this it is opposed to our cultural norms in Africa.

Te Bible categorizes immoral thoughts in the heart and immoral actions as sinful, including homosexual behaviour. Te Bible speaks 7 times about this kind of relationship directly: Gen.19:1-11; Lev.18:22; 20:13; Judge:19:22-25; Roman:1:25-26; 1 Cor.6:9; 1Tim. 1:9-10. In all these passages, homosexuality is not approved but rather, is viewed as sinful, unnatural and perverted. In the Leviticus passage, it is punishable by death. Tis kind of lifestyle is incompatible with the new life Christians are supposed to be living in Christ.

Te Bible considers homosexual behaviour as sin because:

a) It is disobedient to scriptural teachings.

b) It is contrary to God’s created order for the family and human relationships. Human life would become extinct if everyone practiced it.

c) It comes under divine judgment.

d) It is sin but reconciliation and restoration to God is possible. While Scripture makes it clear that homosexual behaviour is sin and comes under the judgment of God, it also indicates that those who are guilty of homosexual behaviour or any other sin can be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:17–21). It is also one of the sins that Christ died for and can be forgiven.

Because of the above as Christians, we do hate the sin, but love the sinners with the love of Christ. Anyone struggling in these areas are welcome to any of our CITAM assemblies for counselling and prayer, as we believe God is able to forgive, restore and help one live a straight life that is God honouring. On the other hand, we encourage Kenyans of moral integrity to reject, resist and oppose this supreme court ruling as it will erode our societal norms and morals. We call upon Christians and Kenyans of good will to stand out in opposition to this ruling and express their disagreement openly.

www.desiringGod.org |

THE STABLE PRESENCE

Five Traits of Resilient Fathers

By Joe Rigney | image courtesy: Medium

Fathers are called to provide for and protect their households. To do this well, they must be sober-minded and stable men who lead their families with gladness, fortitude, wisdom, and resilience.

To provide literally means “to see before.” Tus, a key element of provision is anticipation. A dad is responsible to anticipate the needs, threats, and temptations in his household. His goal is to have clarity about the issues facing his family, coupled with a readiness to act with wisdom to address them.

And he does not do so by himself. In seeking this clarity for the sake of provision, a father does well to remember that he has been given a helper precisely for this purpose. Together, they will see more than if they try to see alone. A faithful father welcomes the insights and wisdom of his wife concerning the needs of the family.

Fathers with Sober Minds

A common pitfall in a father’s leadership is defensiveness in response to his wife’s insights, comments, and encouragements to act. Say a mother sees a pattern of sin forming in her son’s life. She brings it to her husband’s attention, wanting him to do something about it. He gets defensive, or blows up, or shuts down, or shifs blame. All of these reactions display a lack of sober-mindedness.

Tis is true regardless of whether his wife brings the issue to his attention in a helpful way. Say that the sin in the kids has awakened fear in her. She knows that little sins, when lef unchecked, become big sins. Little sinners, if lef unchecked, grow up to be big sinners. And so, she brings this to her husband’s attention with some anxiety, agitation, and (perhaps) frustration that the sin has festered

as long as it has.

Such situations call for stable sober-mindedness. At a basic level, sober-mindedness is the opposite of drunkenness (1 Tessalonians 5:6–8). Drunkenness refers to the physical, cognitive, and moral impairment caused by drinking too much alcohol. Drunkenness negatively afects one’s judgment, frequently leading to other sins. Tose who are drunk don’t see clearly, nor do they stand frmly, nor do they act wisely.

Crucially, alcohol is not the only intoxicant. Passions too, whether ours or others, can cloud our judgment and hinder wise action. Under the infuence of passions, we become reactive and tossed to and fro. Again, we get defensive, blow up, shut down, or shif blame.

“To be sober-minded is to see with clarity, stand with stability, and act with wisdom.”

Terefore, to be sober-minded is to see with clarity, stand with stability, and act with wisdom. Sober-minded men govern their own passions, and thus they are able to absorb and endure the passions, reactions, and agitations of others.

Making a Resilient Dad

Where does such sober-mindedness come from? In my own life, I frequently return to Colossians 3:12–17 as a way of building sober-minded resilience into my soul. So let us consider the passage, not merely as a word to all Christians, but as a word applied particularly to husbands and fathers.

CLOTHED IN VIRTUE

First, Paul calls his readers to clothe themselves with key virtues: “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). All of these are vital for fathers as they seek to lead their homes. We are to clothe ourselves with these virtues “as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.” In other words, these virtues fow from knowing ourselves to be loved by God and set apart for his service. Steady fathers are grounded in the love of their heavenly Father.

READY TO FORGIVE

Second, steady fathers bear with and readily forgive others (Colossians 3:13). Tey are long-sufering, and they keep short accounts. Tey don’t hold grudges or allow bitterness to fester. Tey either allow love to cover a multitude of sins, or they quickly act to address substantial sins and pursue forgiveness and reconciliation. Te one thing that they don’t do is allow sins to pile up in their own hearts and their own households. And they act this way, fundamentally, because their Lord has freely forgiven them.

RULED BY PEACE

Tird, steady fathers clothe themselves with love and let Christ’s peace rule in their hearts (Colossians 3:14–15). Te peace of Christ is the root of Christian sober-mindedness. He is our peace. He is our stability. He is the sure and steadfast anchor of our souls. And a godly father who welcomes the peace of Christ in his heart is empowered to be a sober-minded anchor for his family. Te peace of Christ enables him to be a spiritual harbor for them in the storms and trials of life.

STEEPED IN SCRIPTURE

Fourth, Christ’s peace reigns in our hearts when God’s word dwells in us richly (Colossians 3:16). Paul’s words press us to pursue a particular quality in our biblical meditation. Te word must dwell richly in us; this implies a certain abundance and fullness of God’s word in our lives. Tis richness overfows from us, in both teaching and singing. Steady fathers have the word on their tongues; they are ready with wise biblical instruction, exhortation, and admonition for their families. More than that, “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” are the soundtrack of their lives. Tey love to sing God’s word back to him and over their families.

ALWAYS THANKFUL

Finally, steady fathers are grateful fathers. Tree times in Colossians 3, Paul calls us to gratitude. “Be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). Sing “with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Glad-hearted gratitude to God is the abundant overfow of a steady father. A steady father thanks God for all things, great and small. He is ever mindful of God’s many kindnesses to him, and he leads his family to the throne of grace with thanksgiving and adoration.

Sober-Mindedness in Action

So, returning to the original scenario, how might a Colossians 3 father both respond to his wife’s insight and lead in shepherding his son?

“Steady fathers are grounded in the love of their heavenly Father.”

First, a sober-minded father will not be threatened by the insights of his wife (even the agitated and anxious insights). Instead, he’ll receive his wife’s insights with humility, meekness, and gratitude. Because he is anchored in God’s love and Christ’s peace, he will be quick to listen and slow to speak, carefully evaluating the situation in light of God’s word.

Second, the dominant note that he’ll strike, whether she brought her concerns in a faithful way or a reactive way, is gratitude to God for her, and gratitude to her for her help. He is able to live with her in an understanding way and show honor to her as the weaker vessel (1 Peter 3:7). With God’s help, his sober-mindedness can act as an anchor for her, and together they can turn their attention to wisely shepherding their son.

Tird, he’ll take the initiative in addressing the issue with his son. He’ll do so clothed with compassion and patience, bringing the same steady presence to bear in teaching and admonishing his son with all wisdom. Such wisdom will ofen take the form of anticipating and difusing his son’s own defensiveness and blame-shifing with kindness, meekness, and manifest love. A steady father will both bear with the weaknesses of his son and insist that God’s word be obeyed in everything.

Finally, he will aim at forgiveness and reconciliation, frst with God, and then within his family. God’s forgiveness in Christ is foundational, but it always spreads. A steady father leads in making sure that everyone in his home is keeping short accounts with each other, quickly confessing sin and sincerely ofering forgiveness.

And he will do all of this in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, clothed with the love of God that binds his family together in perfect harmony.

Joe Rigney (@joe_rigney) is president of Bethlehem College & Seminary and a teacher for desiringGod.org. He is a husband, father of three, and pastor at Cities Church. His most recent book is More Tan a Battle: How to Experience Victory, Freedom, and Healing from Lust.

My Devotional

SECOND CHANCES

https://sportsspectrum.com/

By Travis Wilson

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” — Mark 11:25

Te New England Patriots have had a history of giving players like Randy Moss, Antonio Brown, Josh Gordon, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Albert Haynesworth second (and even third) chances. Tese athletes have encountered many troubling incidents while on other teams including drug abuse, unsportsmanlike behavior while on the feld, and other team distractions. Although talented, they probably wouldn’t have received another shot from many other teams. However, the Patriots seem to be a team that gives people a second chance to play the game of football. I truly believe this is incredible and an example of God’s grace.

What is grace? Grace is unmerited favor. Because God has allowed His one and only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins, He has allowed us to have His grace. All we have to do is repent to God, believe in Jesus Christ and make Him the Lord and Savior of our lives. He forgives us when we repent of our sins — “repentance” means to ask God for forgiveness and turn away from sin.

God’s forgiveness is amazing and I’m so thankful for it! God forgives us so we must do the same for others. Pray for those who have wronged you (Matthew 5:44) and pray for those who continually make bad decisions. Tose who are doing wrong are really crying out for help though they may not know it.

If you are having problems forgiving others, ask God to humble you so that you can look at your own faws, and remember that God provides you with grace. Also, pray that God will help you forgive others and He will answer your prayer (John 14:13-14). Keep in mind that your refusal to forgive others can block the blessing of His forgiveness of you: “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25).

Is holding a grudge worth it? Never. Give everyone a second chance (and even a third or fourth chance) because God has given you chance afer chance (Matthew 5:7). Tank the Lord for second chances!

— Travis Wilson

By william

When we have gone through disappointments, dreams are taking longer than we thought, or we are dealing with a challenge, it is easy to lose our passion, become complacent, stop believing for things to turn around. But the apostle Paul says, “Be glad for all God is planning for you” (Romans 12:12).

If you could see what God has planned for you, knew the doors He is going to open, people you are going to meet, giants you are going to defeat, you would go out each day with a spring in your step, excited about your future. Tat expectancy is what allows God to do great things.

God has a comeback for every mistake. He has already planned to bring you out better. Tere are good breaks in your future that will catapult you ahead. When you realize this, it changes your perspective. You won’t live discouraged over problems. Tere will be a passion.

You know God is on the throne and His plans for you are for good. Tere is not a problem you will face that God has not already lined up a solution, the right

people, breaks you need, favour. Tere is not a dream in your heart for which God has not already arranged the wisdom.

When you know that the Most High God has planned out your days, that the schedule has been set, you can live out of a place of rest. Psalm 30 says that “God’s favour is for a lifetime.” It’s not for a few years, just for when you are in your twenties, or thirties.

No, His favour is for as long as you are breathing. We can all look back and see the moments of favour when God opened a door we could never open. He promoted you when you weren’t next in line. He healed you when the experts said there was no way.

Te good news is God never does His greatest feats in your yesterdays; they’re always in your tomorrows. Your future is going to supersede anything you’ve seen in the past. Te Scripture says, “You haven’t seen, heard or imagined what God has in store for those who love Him.”

IT IS A BATTLE FOR BALANCE Wambui’s Refections

By Wambui | image courtesy: Daily Mail

Psalms 23:1-3

“Te Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want ...”

Tis is a Scripture for the workerholics. You have been working so hard, but you cannot get ahead.

Te key for you to get ahead is not work, it is rest. Rest is where your faith is. If you could do it by working 80 hours a week then you are slowly killing yourself and opening doors for illnesses that will eventually get other people raise your children. Tat is not God’s will for us.

God says do your work then go home and raise your children, love on your spouse and build your family. Because working yourself to death is not honoring God.

Oh....I work 90 hours a week, I cannot even move am so tired. Te end result you will die early. Te devil is a liar!

Balance - Live your life, go for a holiday, barbecue for your children etc....

You have to battle for balance, or God will make you lie down in green pastures (Psalms 23 : 2)

Please don’t let God make you lie down....

All men and women of God should avoid seeking validation at the cost of them not being relevant in their homes.

So what is this in you as a servant of God that needs to be applauded that does not matter?

Te Answer is Keeping it Real!......you cannot run yourself to the ground and think it is God. If one was to die at an early age as a servant of God because of such tight schedules and being so busy...then their children would end up resenting God because they would say if it was not for serving you then our parent would not have died and that same God could not keep them.

Tis is what the devil wants to make people run around making them think it is God but it is not.

God says...I did not assign you to that, you did that because you were not listening!!

All that running around, physical breakdown No! we need to prioritize things in our life.

Second from God, if you have a family that is a priority, your health should be a priority before you consider assignments outside that at times heavily costs one.

Make Sure You Surround Yourself With Hitters.

David was getting ready to kill himself by going into battle, but he had some hitters that said NO. David, we love you so you get behind us, we are going to take charge of things from here.

Every now and then you need some hitters like PETER.. what did you say? say it again.. because if you train them right they will end up having the same anointing as you, they will have a heart like yours and they will have their own weapons.

Tis is the season where God is about to mature you so that you can use your weapons to break down the camp of the enemy.

www.biblicalleadership.com

Entrepreneur

TRUSTING GOD IN OUR WORK

| By Jordan Raynor

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

All throughout Scripture, we are told that it is God, not us, who produces results through our work. First Chronicles 29:12 says “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.”

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 reads, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

In an age in which anyone can launch a business, write a book, or start a podcast, it can be tempting to think that it is our hustle that is producing results through our endeavors. God commands that we hustle and uses our hard work to produce results through us. But as we enter into any new work, we must begin by recognizing the indisputable fact that results are ultimately being produced by the Lord.

In Proverbs 16, Solomon sets forth a sequence of trusting, hustling, and resting that should mark any endeavor we Christians pursue. In verse three of the pas-

sage, the wisest man who ever lived commands, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” So before we hustle, we are to commit our work to the Lord. What does this look like, practically?

For starters, it looks like keeping verses like the ones above close to our hearts, there to continually remind us that it is God, not us, who produces results. Secondly, we commit our work to the Lord when we go to Him in prayer and verbalize our trust in Him.

Finally, in addition to verbalizing our trust in God to ourselves and to God, it is important that we verbalize this trust to those around us. In a culture that celebrates the ability to “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps,” we Christians will be set apart in the world when we explicitly recognize that it is God, not us, who is responsible for producing results through our work.

But trusting is just one piece of the puzzle. In order to be efective instruments in the hands of our Caller, we must hustle hard in our chosen work.

My Health

Brain health: Can cinnamon improve learning and memory?

Researchers analyzed 40 studies investigating how cinnamon afects cognitive function.

Tey found that consuming cinnamon may improve learning and memory. Further studies are needed before conclusions can be made.

Cinnamon has a long history in culinary use, as an aroma, and in herbal medicine.

Studies show that cinnamon confers cognitive beneftsand anti-infammatory, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties.

Some research shows that cinnamon potentially has neuroprotective efects, including against Alzheimer’s disease.

A compound in cinnamon known as cinnamaldehyde, for example, has been shown to inhibit the buildup of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain- a key sign of Alzheimer’s.

Further study of cinnamon’s potential cognitive benefts could aid the development of preventive strategies for cognitive decline.

Recently, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 40 studies investigating the

efects of cinnamon on cognitive function.

Tey found that cinnamon signifcantly improves cognitive function, described as learning and memory.

Te study appears in Nutritional Neuroscience.

Cinnamon and cognitive function

For the study, the researchers analyzed 40 studies detailing the relationship between cinnamon and cognitive function.

For the analysis, they included two clinical studies, fve in vitro studies, and 33 in vivo studies, including 17 involving rats, 15 in mice, and one in the common fruit fy.

To begin, the researchers analyzed studies involving cinnamon extract or powder.

In one clinical study, the researchers found that chewing cinnamon gum for 40 days positively afected memory in adolescents. Te other clinical study, however, reported no signifcant changes in memory when taken orally.

My Health

Most in vivo studies found cinnamon positively afected learning and memory. One study, however, found that cinnamon decreased learning and short memory.

Meanwhile, an in-vivo studyfound that methanol extract from cinnamon bark can inhibit amyloid-beta production.

Next, the researchers investigated cinnamon components such as eugenol, cinnamic acid, and cinnamaldehyde.

Tey found that eugenol has cognitive protective efects due to its antioxidant properties and ability to inhibit amyloid plaques.

Tey further found that compounds known as cinnamaldehyde and trans-cinnamaldehyde have anti-cell death and anti-infammatory efects that protect against cognitive impairment in animal models.

Te researchers noted that their results were not dose-dependent, meaning that both lowTrusted Source and high doses of cinnamon conferred positive efects.

Limited clinical data on cinnamon use

When asked about limitations to the fndings, Molly Rapozo, RDN, Registered Dietician Nutritionist & Senior Nutrition and Health Educator at Pacifc Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, not involved in the study, told Medical News Today:

“Only 2 clinical studies were part of this review, and one of the two did not show a positive efect. Most of the literature included were rodent models. Terefore more clinical studies are needed. Furthermore, there were many variations among the studies for duration, dosage, and cinnamon components used.”

When refecting on why one of the two clinical trials included reported positive efects, she said: “Perhaps cinnamon didn’t show a positive efect in one of the clinical studies because the dosage, duration, or cinnamon used wasn’t as impactful as the combination used in the positive study.”

Dr. Karen D. Sullivan, board certifed neuropsychologist and creator of I CARE FOR YOUR BRAIN, not involved in the study, also told MNT:

“ Te main limitations are the low quality of many of the included studies which even the authors describe as “imprecise.” Numerous variables were [poorly-defned, including] the cognitive abilities tested, the use of diferent components of cinnamon and varying exposures to the compounds.”

“ Te data on cinnamon inhibiting the pathophysiological mechanisms seen in Alzheimer’s disease is very weak and limited to very small sample sizes in laboratory samples,” she added.

Dr. Jonathan J. Rasouli, Director of Complex and Adult Spinal Deformity Sur-

gery at Staten Island University Hospital, also not involved in the study, told MNT that the human studies did not have adequate control groups, meaning it is hard to draw a frm conclusion from the research.

“In order to defnitively say there is a beneft, we will need a prospective, randomized controlled trial, and that is still pending,” Dr. Rasouli noted.

Including cinnamon in diet

Cinnamon comes in two types: Ceylon and cassia. Both can be healthy additions to one’s diet, however, cassia cinnamon contains a toxin that can be harmful if you eat too much of it.

“Eating high amounts of cassia cinnamon can hurt liver function, increase the risk of lung, liver and kidney cancer, medication-interactions and due to high amounts of coumarin.

Also, eating too much ground cinnamon of either kind at once cause coughing and difculty breathing because the very fne texture of the spice can get caught in the vacuoles of the lungs. Tis is especially concerning for people with asthma,” Dr. Sullivan cautioned.

Rapozo, however, noted that cinnamon is considered to be a safe herbal medicine and has a long history in various cultures. Tis means it could easily be included as a part of an accessible whole foods diet for a broad range of people.

“I recommend culinary herbs and spices as part of a brain-healthy anti-infammatory diet. Cinnamon makes a wonderful hot or cold tea, tastes great with whole grains and fruit, as well as being essential to savory spice blends throughout the world,” she concluded.

My Kitchen

Obe Ata

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In southwest Nigeria, there is a delicious dish the Yoruba tribe calls obe ata, which translates to pepper stew or soup. It is made with red bell peppers known as tatashe, which are blended with tomatoes, onion and habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper. Tis stew is very dear to me because my husband, who is from the Yoruba tribe, taught me how to make it. His recipe doesn’t incorporate garlic, but I like to add fresh garlic to give the stew a robust favor. You can choose from a variety of proteins when making obe ata--chicken, goat, beef or fsh--and vegetarians can replace the meat with mushrooms. Beef is my protein of choice because I enjoy the rich favor it adds to this dish. Obe ata is usually served with steamed rice, yam, plantains and, at times, bread. It can also be served alongside pasta and potatoes.

Ingredients

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1 pound beef tenderloin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

2 teaspoons dried thyme

Kosher salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic

3 red bell peppers, roughly chopped

2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 habanero pepper, stemmed, optional

1 large onion, diced

1 teaspoon madras curry powder

1 teaspoon chicken or beef bouillon powder

Rice and sweet plantains, for serving

Directions

Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes. Rinse with water, then transfer to a bowl. Season with the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, if using, 1 teaspoon of the thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt, rubbing it into the beef. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef until dark brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a clean bowl. Reserve the Dutch oven and the oil.

Blend the garlic, red bell peppers, tomatoes, habanero, if using, and 1 cup of the chopped onion in a food processor to a puree. Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved beef oil. Add the remaining chopped onion and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomato and bell pepper puree and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer until the vegetables start to break down, release liquid and become saucy, about 5 minutes. Add the seared beef, curry powder, bouillon powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and stir to combine; the stew should be reddish-orange. Simmer on low, uncovered, until some of the liquid reduces, the stew thickens slightly and a layer of oil appears on the surface, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt if needed. Pair the stew with rice and sweet plantains.

My Sports

Red Bull boss Horner picks his most improved team from 2023 testing – and explains why he’s not surprised

Red Bull’s confdence is clear as the sun sets on pre-season testing in Bahrain afer Max Verstappen set 204 laps over one and a half days of running, while Sergio Perez cleared 150 laps overall. Tey might be focusing on their own performance, but Team Principal Christian Horner has picked out one team that have shown big signs of improvement at this early stage…

Verstappen won his second title and took a record 15 wins in 2022, while Red Bull clinched the constructors’ crown for the frst time since 2013. Now, with the RB19, they’re looking to defend those championships.

When it came to picking through the times of rivals Ferrari and Mercedes, Horner said: “Very difcult to say. I mean Ferrari look like they’re quick, Mercedes’ form [is] difcult to read at the moment. Are they holding something back? We’ll see this time next week; I think all will become clear.”

Te Red Bull Team Principal added that Aston Martin had made a “big step” forward.

“Yeah, I think they’ve made a big step,” he said. “It looks like their concept of car has moved them forward and they look like they’re not too far away, so Fernando [Alonso] in particular looks very competitive.”

With Perez fnishing Red Bull’s programme in Bahrain, Horner was particularly pleased with the feedback that the Mexican driver had ofered on the performance of the RB19.

“It’s been pretty consistent with Max’s, which is always refreshing to hear, so therefore the development of the car and the direction that we’ll be looking to optimise the car in future races is consistent between both sides of the garage, so that’s encouraging,” he said.

As for why Red Bull opted to give each driver a full day in the car, only splitting Friday’s duties in an approach that difers to some other teams, Horner explained: “I think our preference is: once a driver’s into a rhythm and their engineers are, rather than breaking it over the lunch hour, to continue that theme during the whole of the day.

“Of course, that’s diferent for every team… it’s more suited to the plans that we had at this particular test.”