WHAT AM I MISSING?

WHAT AM I MISSING?
A blind spot is an area where  a person's view is obstructed or an area within your range of vision that you are unable to see.
That said, yesterday evening at our cohort meeting, we talked about the blind spot after listening to John C Maxwell's audio about the blind spot.  John said almost every one has a blind spot which is true, everyone does but because he didn't want someone emailing him saying they know some who doesn't, he said not everyone!  How Ironic! Being that they would be talking about someone else and not themselves. Anyway, am writing this because much as I knew I had weaknesses,it has never occurred to me that I have a blind spot.  Well now I know and as many may believe others but themselves have a blind spot, it dawned on me that I must be missing something.  Does everyone around me but me know my blind spot and I don't, questions lingered in my mind all night long. What could it be? What am I missing?

I was afraid I could have hurt someone or that maybe it makes me a bad leader.  Consolation was that I could ask someone that is interested in seeing me grow what mine is then I work on it and I begin by asking my husband.  I didn't know what that looked like in my life and leadership journey and better still as a wife and mother. Hmmm

I must admit, it's quite a challenge  and am even sure how to handle it if I knew it or even recover from it.
As John explained the LENSE principle and said that who we are determines how we see others,  I became damn founded.  We don't see others for who they are but rather through the lense of who are.
We see people in the context of ourselves because we see things as we are.  By this time, I was speechless  and I started giggling.
He then explained another principle as the MIRROR  principle. The first person we must examine is ourselves but do I/we? It's easy to see someone else's face.  Actually a few people can see their blind spots and am not one of those few, I need help!

People do not see themselves, the deception is we are always right considering our instincts or expertise,  knowledge in a certain field and the like. We often see ourselves by our in tensions and others by their actions( Jesus this is me)
so what am l missing?

How do I know my blind spot?
1) Ask people closest to you, people who believe  in you what it is like to be on the other side of you. We don't see ourselves so it's best to ask.  We see others out of context and see ourselves in context. It's amazingly human.
so as we evaluate ourselves,ask! Even Jesus did.
Disclaimer : Jesus though he was in flesh,  he was divine. He had no blind spot.  He is all knowing. Matthew 16:13-16
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples,  saying, "who do men say that I, the son of man, am? "
14 So they said,  some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah... "
15

FEARLESS  SUMMIT.

Beginning  this month,  I was previldged to attend  fearless Summit at Mavuno Hill City,  Athi River which  was also an assignment  to fulfill as I attend Harvest  Institute an affiliate of Worship Harvest  Ministries.
My flight was at 7:50am so I should  have been at the airport preferably two hours  earlier  because  I needed a document to travel  with  my Son which I had not yet acquired. Fortunately I slept  over at a friend's house  who had connections at the airport  because  he had worked  there for  sometime.  He made some calls and I was reliably informed of the requirements which  required me to get pass  photos of the  baby

DRUNKENNESS

DRUNKENNESS
Reminscing on the past and as a little  child,  I didn't  know  why this certain  guy called  Gasirabo walked by our place  saying  things  I didn't  understand  and staggering as though  he had lost it . I remember  we used to give him  nicknames and one of the nicknames was Obangayina, I don't  even know  what it means but well he was in a different  state every time he visited  his friend, he was so in love with this  friend of his that he proposed and she said  "YES."  he didn't  have to visit  her anymore, he now was staying  with her. She is such  an influence that she hardly  says a word  but you  understand  what she means and  my neighbor had fallen  victim  of this  lady . She is called  Alcohol.  If you  have  ever  been drunk,  you  are in a better  position  to understand  what I mean.  Alcohol  empowers you and often it gives you a sense  that you  are in control of everything and everyone and yes,  you  can be only  in your  mind!

The Holy Spirit functions  more less the same Acts 2: 4, and they were all filled  with the Holy Spirit  and began  to speak  with  tongues,  as the spirit  gave them utterance.  The spirit  gives  you words not of your  own because it influences and Verse 13 says; Others mocking  said,  "They are full of new wine." why? Because  it also makes people talk especially  things they understand  not. Like this man in my childhood neighborhood, Gasirabo,  you may Want to visit  this new friend  who influences like Alcohol  and later marry her, she is a helper the Bible says and you  won't do much in your power  but in the spirits power.
Question  is, how do I get the Holy Spirit?
1) Acts 19 And it happened while  at Corinth that Paul, having  passed  through  the  upper  regions, came to Ephesus. and finding  some disciples 2 he said to them, "Did you  receive  the Holy Spirit when  you  believed?" so they said  to him,  we have not  so much  as heard whether  there  is a Holy Spirit. " and what does Paul  do? Verse 6. And  when  Paul  had laid hands  upon  them the Holy Spirit came upon  them, and they spoke with  tongues  and prophesied.  In other  words, you  can receive  the spirit  by the laying  on of hands.
2) Luke 11:13, "if then,  being  evil,  know  how to give good gifts to your  children,  how much  more will  your  Heavenly  Father  give  the Holy  Spirit  to those  who  ask Him!" brethren,  my dear  friends you  can ask father  for  the Holy Spirit,  he is more than  willing  to give us the Holy Spirit...how sweet!

Ask for  the Holy Spirit  and the Lord shall  give  it to you. So what  are you  drunk on... Is it the Holy Spirit or the other " friendly  one" The influence  almost  can be the same yet very  very  distinctive. Alcohol  wears out but the spirit  often stays long.

DISCIPLESHIP(Fruit doesn't Lie)

FRUIT  DOESN'T LIE.

From the time  I started  understanding and as far as I can remember, my mother  was and still  is a tailor or designer : call  it whatever  you want as far as am concerned,  she makes clothes...lol,  My siblings  and I have learned and adopted  so much  of her skills and traits, we often  talk  like her,  cook like she does,and now that am a mother,  I find myself  behaving like her and the most interesting  part is that we all love clothes  like her,  mum makes most of the clothes  she wears and like her, sometimes  we make our clothes, this my younger sister does for  a living too.  My brother  took a slightly  different  path, he does  décor  and I love bead work, sequins, motifs and the like and living  life with  her has so much  influenced  the way we live.  We have watched  her make patterns and all the magic she does while making  her customers' clothes which  range from  simple  dresses to wedding  gowns and yes I said gowns,  she made both my gowns and also made for  a friend  of mine ( Victory  Torach) and very many other  people.


Please  note,  mum has never  intentionally  purposed  to teach  us how to make clothes but we know  how to do it anyway.  I did bead work on  my gowns for my wedding,  the maids dresses and the flower  girls dresses not because  she taught  me how to but because  I saw her do it and I would love to say that most of life's lessons are learned  from  what we see for example   most  people  from  broken  families  detest marriage because  of what  they saw not because  of what they hear or heard and what  am I saying, DISCIPLESHIP;
Discipleship is life on life... Matthew 28:18-20
  18. And Jesus  came and spoke to them, saying, All authority  in heaven                   and on earth has been  given  to me.  19. Go ye therefore and make disciples  of all nations, baptizing  them in the name  of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, 20. teaching  them to observe  all things that  I have commanded you;  and Lo,  I am with  you  always, even to the end  of the age.  Amen.  Jesus  commissioned his disciples( US) to go and make disciples  of all nations; to live like  Christ lived among  them,  to do what he did and more in the character  and competence  of him.  I guess  Jesus  was sure they  will do it not because  of what  he may have said to them  at the time  but because  they lived life with  him and had seen him do it,  he had discipled  them. So... How much  of what God is saying  are we obeying  because  discipleship, if it has to be in the character  and competence  of Christ  then we have to get/ receive from  him,  grow into it and that, that is what we give,  we will be Christ- like if we have to make disciples  of all nations...so,  how much  of him reflects  in us because  it's this fruit  that our disciples  will do or be.  An apple  doesn't  fall far from  its tree.  John  10:37... Verse  37." If I do not the works of my father, believe  me not."  by now and am hoping  that we especially me can confidently  say this not because  of our works but because  of what  he did and that it's not what we say lest it becomes  a Chinese  whisper but what we do...what we do matters, it speaks volumes...  And hence Christ - like disciples.

Remember,  FRUIT doesn't  lie.
 What is Jesus saying  to you?
What are  you  going  to do about  it?

MOTHERLAND

Beautiful!  Beautiful!  Beautiful!

She is so beautiful
She is a pearl unimaginable
Her rivers flow with fresh waters
Her hair  so green,  it covers  the mountains  high above  and the valleys below
The sound  of the birds arises her children  to the beautiful  mornings

She is so beautiful
Her offspring so colorful
Her daughters so loving
Her sons so courageous
Her young ones play  with so much  joy  and laughter

She is so beautiful
She is so daring
Entangled are her languages, yet musical they are

She is so beautiful
She is so vibrant like  the rays of the sun as it raises
She is so welcoming,  a home to all
She is my reason  to smile

She is so beautiful
She is so blessed
The peace  within  her heart is undeniable yet  indescribable
She is a home I hold dear

she is Uganda
She is a mother
She is my home


For God and my country!

ITS A BOY!

I think  I have Written so much  about  Myles  and I cannot  promise  that  am going  to stop on this blog,  so today  morning  I woke up, looked my boy smiling  at me and I was filled with lots of joy.
" Honey, Myles  is the best thing  ever and a gift from  God," I said to my husband and he asked me why I had said that out of the blue in the earliest  hours of the day, I smiled  and reminded  him that when we discovered  I was pregnant, we both hoped it would  be a girl and for  some reason  we thought  it was a girl, we looked  for  names and it was just an easy  thing  for  us to do and come across  the names.  The baby  grew on the inside  and the bump became rounder and rounder  so we decided  to do a scan to discover  the sex of the baby. We went to IMC, Jinja...proceeded to the scanning room and the radiographer was ready  to receive  us and he asked if we wanted  to know  the sex of the baby and as if under remote control, Andy and I replied  in Unison, " that's why we are here."
ITS A BOY!" Farouk  said with easy, little  did he know  that it's not the answer  we expected. We looked  at each  other  in shock and silence  filled  the room as emotions floated all over the place but we cried  not... I remember  I had assured  my mid wife when she said to me jokingly that's  a boy, I told  her I prayed  about  it and we both  prayed that we would  have a girl  first... And I started  quoting  scripture,... Ask and you shall  receive... Blah blah blah  so here I was at a loss of words and finally  when I decided to break  the silence  I asked my husband,  honey  did you  hear that,? I took  a deep  breath, pulled myself together and made peace  with it before  we left  the room and actually  praised Father  for the gift of the womb is a gift from  God and we are only  custodians. Here we are five months  down the road,  Myles is the most amazing  thing  that ever  happened  to us... His smile  is contagious, he screams and only joy fills the place,  he is very calm and peaceful and we adore  him... He is our everyday  day crush if you  know  what I mean... He is radiant and fascinating, we enjoy  his company  at home and never get enough  of him,  did I mention  that he is very  very handsome( wink! Wink!)  I don't  even  know  what it feels like to be a mother  of a girl  but I am in love with being  a mother  to this boy, Myles never cries, I here people  say babies cry and I have no idea  what that means, not that he never cries but he is not a cry baby it feels so much  easier  nursing  a boy and am grateful  to God that he gives us what we need  not necessarily  what we want,  I bless the Lord for  his ways are not our ways and he really  knows  what's best for  us at all times.
Just to encourage  us that it's not what we desire  badly  that really  brings happiness  into our lives, sometimes  it's the difference  that makes  us happier... Am happy  with a baby boy and as long as God has given  you what he knows  is best... You life will change and you will be happier than how you thought you  would  be with what you desired.  The blessing  of God maketh rich and he adds no sorrow to it.  It may not be a baby as it was the case for  me,  it may be a job or something  else.  The Lord is in control,  allow him do what he does  best which he does as Father

GENEROSITY BREEDS TRANSFORMATION

One of the top most bible principles that brings  returns  is being  generous,he is refreshed who refreshes others,  giving  others  of whatever  you  possess is quite interesting  as many  of us love to be on the receiving  end which  is also good  in a way... But

Generosity breeds transformation
Last week and beginning  of last year was given  opportunity  to be with the Next generation  Ministries ( NGM)whose mission is to change Uganda one person at a time. NGM was founded by Paul Hunter and his wife; they visited  Uganda  in September 2001 on a short term mission trip and fell in Love with Uganda and the people, returned in 2003 and 2004 for subsequent  mission  trips then 2005 for 5-6 months which  triggered  them to resign  their  responsibilities in America  to devote  themselves  to the work here. They have a beautiful  vision to influence  the next generation  of Ugandans through  encouraging, equipping, empowering and releasing  them to their  destines which they have  achieved  by building  relationships.
 As we went to the deepest  remote  areas of Jinja and the busoga sub region  doing  medical camps and blessing them , I got exposed to how people  live life here in the and truly some people are below  the poverty line here but  thats not why am writing this.

The Next Generation Ministries together with the Oklahoma team are a very generous  team in all aspects... They have done this for  eight times to be exact,  they collect good sums   money  and resources  from  amongst  themselves,  get plane tickets, get  onto the planes, and come down to Uganda to bless someone, giving  of their  time, treasure and talents.  Now all of us know that time is a very valuable asset but this  team is very generous even with their time.
 Doctor Don and Linda klinger,  Dr.  Don Hay,  Nurse Byron Baum, Nurse Barbara Eck, Don Neufeld, Ashley Hairs, Trisha Byfield, pharmacist Vivian Nyugen( from  Oregon) and Lainey Robertson from  the state  of Washington plus Crystal and Debbie who didn't  make it this year all give their  time to come to Africa  to impact  lives.  They are very  patient , warm hearted and very loving  and they never  hold back while  giving.  As very many of us here in Uganda  head out to the diaspora in search  of greener pastures, these  guys come down here not in search  of nothing  other transforming lives of the people  in the remote  areas of Jinja,  serving  others  meaningfuly for  community transformation,  yes it is!  Am always  humbled by how they  dedicate two weeks  of their time to go out everyday to give of themselves and I cannot  help but celebrate  this team together  with Paul and Pamela  Hunter and the NGM team here in Uganda for  giving  of themselves to the people  of Jinja and neighbouring  districts... There  is so much transformation  and so many stories  surrounding you.  Thanks  for  the good work.

It's not easy loving  people  especially  when they don't  give u anything  but you have purposed to love people  and support  them in various  areas and made their lives  better.
Now,  Ugandans, let's wake up... Before  you  blame the government  for  doing  nothing,  what have you  done for  the community  you come from; start now... Do something  to impact people, start with your  family,  neighborhood, and then the community.  The little  you have is the right  thing to begin  from... Generosity  is a thing  of the heart,  it's not that people  have much,  it's because  they have the heart to give and they don't give what they need not,  it's sharing whatever  they can get and sometimes  involves getting  out of their  way to give so they can cause  transformation.

Question is, what is Christ calling  you  to do in the transformation of your  community?
What are you  doing  or going  to do about  it?
Who is going  to help  you achieve  it?

 A WOMAN ( The  fuel that runs the world)

A woman is by far the most beautiful  creature  on earth...fascinating and unique her purpose  is.
A woman is high  esteemed despite  the trials, negativity energy and discrimination that surrounds  her;  a woman has been labeled  the weakest  vessel,  and this may appear  to be true but her strength  lies on the inside... A woman's  strength  is within not without.
A woman is a pillar,  she is the ultimate  strength  for  anything  if it has to succeed and even when there is so much  injustices and inequalites as the world  suggests,  she has stood her ground and maintained her position  which  enables her to always  succeed.
A woman is the Magnet that pulls all the good  things together which is why  it's often  said that behind  every successful man is a woman and I would  love to add, who has not listened  to the negativity of any sorts...sacrificing  herself for  the cause and this has been so even in successful  organizations and countries.
A woman is magical,  her heart  is warm,  she cares and shares... she is not self centered; her children,  her husband,  her parents,  the church, the community are catered for  as she offers herself. She stretches  her hand to the poor.

A woman is self made just like the proverbs 31 woman that wakes up before  daylight, she eats not the bread of idleness,  her price  is far above  rubies and yes,  a virtuous woman  is like the merchant ships.
 A woman has these three important  things that are absent in men;  menstruation, the ability  to become  pregnant and lactation  but she is not limited  to that... There is so much  more to a woman  than bearing  children and nursing  them...a woman is a leader in all aspects, at the front  and better  still at the back,  she is an encourager, a teacher,  a home  maker (proverbs 31:11 " the heart of her husband  doth safely trust in her,  so that he will have no need of spoil ")
A woman  is a coach,  a mentor, a motivator, a warrior is a woman, a hustler is a woman, an inspiration  and yes,  a woman  is a QUEEN (slay if you  like!) when she smiles, the world  lights up...her smile  is like the rays of the sun in the morning,  she is beautiful,  she is colorful like the rainbow... Soft and silky... Her skin is velvet,  her hair is as a flock of goats that appear from  Mount Gilead,  her teeth  like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which  came up from  washing.  So poetic Solomon  was, just borrowing  his words;  her neck  like a tower of David  built for an armoury, the very reason  why men leave their parents  and ask her hand in marriage.

Woman you are great,  arise and shine like the star that  you are,  take on the world!
Be intentional about  yourself... Everything  and all that I mentioned  above begins with you. Be deliberate about  growth;  you have  to decide  that you  want  to grow and grow  in all aspects say spiritual,  intellectual,  relational,  physical and financial aspects. And say yes to opportunities that come your way,  this unlocks your potential  and please  do away  with emotions, this can be a hindrance  to growth,  despite  how much  pain you have or how you  feel, step up and show up...... Shine,  you're  a star.
Discover  your purpose  in life and nurture  it;  this is normally  something  you do with ease and are passionate  about. Don't  , again I say don't  compare  yourself  to anyone ,you're unique, embrace  it. How will you  achieve  your purpose?, be strategic and see how to get it done and have values that people will experience from you and this helps people  to get into the culture  that you  are trying  to create and lastly though not least,  build relationships and don't  take people  for granted,  be kind and gracious to them, get a coach and a mentor,  someone  you will be accountable to( I have Charity Kwatampora my humble  butt kicker)
Again woman arise and shine!

The fuel that runs the world, doesn't  matter  how you  call her,  mother,  sister,  daughter,  grandmother, mother -in-law,  daughter -in-law...well as long as its a woman.

BEING  LOVED

Loving  someone is Very  simple and doable  because  it springs from  the heart and spreads onto the other person.  You understand  how well and important  the person  you love is and why you love  them  the much that you  do.  All the questions  in your  heart are answered...actually  maybe  u may even  never wonder why you love them. It might be because  they're  your  spouse,  your child,  your best friend, your neighbor, a class mate  or  even  someone I haven't  mentioned.  Whoever  that person is!
Loving  someone makes  you happy,  joyous, Complete, excited, and all the other positive  emotions  but also sometimes  mad,  and honestly  I have  never  understood  why I can love someone  and be mad at them at the same  but it has happened  to me million plus times;  this comes as a result  of the desire  for  one's love to be reciprocated, understood and not be taken  for  granted.
a question to all of us is... why love with the hope that you  will be loved?  I can't  answer  that right  now because  it's a desire I have  always  had and I still  do!
It's easy to love someone  that  loves you back.

On the other  hand, being  loved  is receiving and this comes differently and it's perceived  differently as well and I guess  it's because  of different  personalities.
Today  I perceived being  loved  at a completely different  angle;
On 1sept 2017, I gave birth  to a very  handsome  baby boy.  I love him with  everything  that  I am,  firstly  because  I bore him... I carried  him in my womb and he has  some attributes which  stem from  me.  I do everything  to see that he is well,  I wash for  him,  iron  his clothes( I don't  think  he even notices let alone caring  whether  they are ironed or not)  but I do it anyway,  I feed him,  spend long hours  awake,  change his diaper...he even often  pees on me,  destroys the towel with weapons  of mass destruction (poop) just when  I have finished giving  him a bath and I actually  laugh about  it,  everything he does  is amazing  to me and I really  really love him.
" Our  heavenly Father loves you the same way baby," I thought  to myself  today and it made so much  sense and I felt  loved and so happy  and joy sprang from  my inner being. I felt complete and somehow all the answers  I have never  gotten  fell in place and I felt  renewed.  I thought  to myself, "the same feelings  I have  towards  Alpha Myles is the same way God feels about  each one of us . We have his attributes  according  to Genesis 1:27, in his image we were created.... This made my face radiant and I wanted to jump up high and spread my legs... Too much joy it was that I felt and then this reminded  me of a scripture  that says that a mother  can leave a child  they are nursing  but God can never forsake  us... ( paraphrased) . Now that am a mother  I can understand  this perfectly well because  I can not leave  my boy but  also this showed  me how being  loved must make people  feel.
I can not wonder why God has loved  us so much; we are his image,  his own...and like I,  he doesnot mind cleaning our mess and that's why while  we were still sinners,  Christ died  for  us.

I can tell you  exactly  how  it feels  to love and better  still am in position  to tell you how being  loved  feels because  I perceive it and I know it's amazing...a feeling  I can't fathom because  when  God loves, he does and he is never mad.  Paul in his letter  to the Roman's said that  when sin increases, Grace overflows,  I may liken it to changing  my boy's diapers. When his diaper is wet and dirty... I change  him to a dry and  clean  diaper....Grace  makes us clean...and it's our father's love.